Celebrating the art of 1:48 modeling. Trains MAGAZINE. Sept/Oct 2008 u Issue #40. US $6.95 Can $8.95 Display until October 31, 2008

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1 O Scale Trains MAGAZINE Sept/Oct 2008 u Issue #40 Celebrating the art of 1:48 modeling US $6.95 Can $8.95 Display until October 31, 2008

2 / FAX: (408) GGD - RERUN P70s NEW CAR NUMBERS: ORDER IN PAIRS: PRR, PRSL, LIRR, $ MSRP. RESERVE TODAY! VERY LIMITED QUANTITIES. RERUN PULLMAN 12-1 SLEEPERS IN ABS NEW CAR NAMES TOO: PRR, PULLMAN (GREEN), PULLMAN (TTG), ERIE (TWO TONE GREEN), LACKAWANNA (Grey and Maroon). RESERVE TODAY! COMING FALL $ MSRP each. NYC 20th Century 1938 & 1940 YES WE ARE OFFERING THE 1940 STRIPING TOO! Available in Late 2008 for $ (RESERVE PRICE) per 4 Car Set 54 STEEL REEFERS REA Green Also: REA ORIG ACL GN B&O Pull-Green NYC SF Set A: RPO/Baggage 5018 Diner Imperial Highlands Observation Manhattan Is. Set B: Dorm/Club Century Club 17-Roomette City of Albany 10-5 Cascade Dawn 13-Double Bedroom Cuyahoga County Set C: Diner Roomette City of Chicago 10-5 Cascade Glory Imperial Falls HW DINER / OBSERVATION PRR - BIG CHANGE PULLMAN OBSERVATION D78br - DINER (w/3dp1 Trucks) OFFERED IN MANY OTHER ROADS WITH PULLMAN TRUCKS GGD Aluminum Sets - PRICE CHANGE - NYC ESE: 6 Car Set, 2 Car Add On ($ / $299.95) FALL Santa Fe 1937 Super Chief: 6 Car Set, 2 Car Add On ($ / $299.95) FALL Southern Pacific Daylight: 5 Car, 5 Articulated Add On ($ / $599.95) Late PRR Fleet of Mod. 2 Tone Tuscan: 5 Car Set, 2 Car Add On ($ / $299.95) Late 2008 PRR Post War Tuscan: 5 Car Set, 2 Car Add On ($ / $299.95) Late 2008 Scale Trucks - Scale Underbody - Scale Interior Details - Overhead Lighting Track or Larger LITTLE PEOPLE (1930S-1950S) 40 Seated $29.95 HIGHLY DETAILED + $5 S&H (1-4 PACKS) 100 TON CONCRETE COALING TOWER Coming 2009 Reserve Today $ MSRP

3 Celebrating the art of 1:48 modeling Issue #40 Sept/Oct 2008 Ted Byrne Carey Hinch Vol. 7 - No. 5 Editor-in-Chief/Publisher Joe Giannovario jag@oscalemag.com Art Director Jaini Giannovario jaini@oscalemag.com Managing Editor Mike Cougill editor@oscalemag.com Advertising Manager Jeb Kriigel jeb@oscalemag.com Customer Service Spike Beagle Complaints L il Bear Contributors Neville Rossiter Gene Clements Roger C. Parker Subscription Rates: 6 issues US - Periodical Class Delivery US - First Class Delivery (1 year only) Canada/Mexico Overseas US$35 US$45 US$55 US$80 Visa, MC, AMEX & Discover accepted. Call during Eastern time business hours. Dealers contact Kalmbach Publishing, ext 818 or tss@kalmbach.com Advertisers call for info All Rights Reserved Printed in the U.S.A. O Scale Trains Magazine, ISSN , USPS 24457, is published bi-monthly in January, March, May, July, September and November by OST Magazine, PO Box 289, Exton PA Subscription rates: US Periodical Mail, $35 per year, US First Class Mail, $45 per year; Canada or Mexico, $55 per year; Overseas, $80 per year. Postage paid at West Chester, Pa., and additional mailing offices. POST- MASTER send address changes to O Scale Trains Magazine, PO Box 289, Exton PA Contributors: O Scale Trains welcomes your feature articles, photos, and drawings. Such material should be sent to the above address for possible publication. If we accept, you will be notified immediately. For more information concerning article preparation guidelines, please send an SASE to the above address and request our Guide For Authors or visit our website at: www. oscalemag.com. Cover: A lone N&W covered hopper waits on the Mill Track for the next local at Sycamore, Indiana on Mike Cougill s Indiana and Whitewater. Weathering expert Rich Divizio explains how he did the car s incredible weathering job starting on page 4. Centerspread: This area on John Houlihan s (The Irish Tracklayer) layout is called Big Bunch after a siding on the Fresno Interurban Railroad, east of Fresno, a joint ATSF/SP station. The locomotive is Sacramento Northen #652. The packing shed is typical of those found throughout the local area. The overhead is shared by Scarmento Northern and Visalia Electric, both of which serviced a good number of packing sheds in their respective areas. O Scale Trains Features 4 Weathering An O Scale Hopper Learn to master the elements of weathering from Rich Divizio. 15 Powering Up: Block Detection Ted Byrne looks at the options for sgnaling and other tasks. 17 MTH DCS to DCC Conversion Changing over an MTH steam loco as detailed by Ray Grosser O Scale National Convention Photos from the convention floor. 41 Boxcar to Caboose Conversion Charlie Morrill freelances a caboose based on an SP conversion. 49 An Introduction to Soldering Soldering made easier the William Kendall way. Departments 13 The Art of Finescale Mike Cougill 26 Traction Action Roger Parker 31 The Modern Image Gene Clements 32 Reader Feedback 34 Modelers Showcase 45 The Workshop Neville Rossiter 52 Product News & Reviews 68 Buy-Sell-Trade Ads 68 Events Listing 69 Advertiser Index 70 Observations Joe Giannovario MAGAZINE Sept/Oct 08 - O Scale Trains 3

4 Before Photo 1 Weathering an O Scale Hopper Rich Divizio (Judging by the many photos I ve looked at, O Scale modelers seem reluctant to weather freight cars. The OST staff feels this is an important overdue subject. Therefore I commissioned weathering expert Rich Divizio to do one of my own cars for this article in our ongoing effort to bring you the best techniques and modeling information we can. Here s Rich. -Ed.) Fading the Car In looking at the unweathered car (Photo 1), I decided the first order of business was to fade the car down a bit and grime it up before I started to add any kind of rust detailing. I mixed a custom gray color that was slightly darker than the car s original color using Windsor & Newton s Zinc White and Ivory Black gouache thinned with Windex, combined with Windsor & Newton s Raw Umber water soluble oil paint from their Artisan line. I mixed these colors keeping a close eye on the consistency until I got a dark brownish/grayish tone that would still be transparent as it was applied to the car (Photos 2-3). I quickly 2 3 applied the custom wash to the side panels brushing up and down until the whole side was covered. Working fast while the side was still wet, I took a wedge shaped cosmetic sponge and dabbed the side of the car left to right, up and down and back again until I achieved the desired, grimy/faded look I wanted (Photo 4). Note: by doing this you re actually taking off what you just put on, and if more is taken off in one spot than the other, you could reveal more of the cars original color which simulates that the panel s rusting is slowly taking over the metal. Photo 5 shows a completed side after the first wash has been applied and sponged. Fading the Letters Once both sides were complete, I wanted to tone down the lettering without disturbing the panel color, so I used the 4 O Scale Trains - Sept/Oct 08

5 same dark gray gouache mixture and a torn cosmetic sponge to carefully dab the color on, touching only the lettering (Photos 6-7). Once the sides of the car were complete, I concentrated on the surrounding areas: the sides of the roofwalk, the lower sills and ladders, and the sloping roof line under the roof walk (Photos ) The Magic Take-Off Technique The areas I just spoke of were treated with the same wash as the sides were. A couple of minutes after those areas were visibly dry, I took a brush dipped in some rubbing alcohol, and stippled all those same areas to take off what had just been applied. By doing this, it creates the look of built up dirt over time. As far as the finer detailing on panel seams, bolts and where the supports meet their attaching points, we will fine tune those areas later once the whole car has a base layer of grime. End Detailing I approached both ends of the car the same way, by giving them a base coat of grime. I make sure that where the rungs of the ladder are attached, and anywhere the end of the car collects the dirt kicked up from the wheels, that I m treating those areas with some extra special attention. The grime wash will take care of the basic grooves that need to be filled with collected dirt, but to create the kicked up splatter from the Sept/Oct 08 - O Scale Trains 5

6 wheels, I lightly grimed the end of the car, not going as dark as the sides of the car, since this area is a bit more protected. While the surface was still wet, I took a dry brush with some weathering powder on it and, holding the car vertically, lightly tapped the back end of the car. By doing this, the powder is randomly dropped in specks onto the wet surface and you leave it to dry without touching it. You will seal this later using Dullcote from an airbrush (Photos 11-12). For griming up the hopper bays, bolts and other equipment, it s the same as before, just dirty up these areas according to what you feel this car has been exposed to over time (Photos 13-14) Roof and Hatches My first step in getting the roof and hatches looking right is to just get them stained a bit lighter than the sides of the car. Using my same grime wash and thinning it out a bit with some alcohol on my brush, I quickly covered the whole top and worked in the wash where I felt that dirt could collect. Taking a cosmetic sponge and wetting it with some rubbing alcohol, lightly dab the top of the car end-to-end to achieve a slightly stained looking roof (Photo 15) I mixed up a small batch of Black and White gouache with water soluble Raw Umber oils for a kind of rusty gray, and sponged the top of the hatches. I let the hatches dry a bit, maybe 15 minutes, then came back and using a brush dipped in alcohol, began to stipple off what I just put on in random dabs. Keep wiping off your brush in between, to keep from transferring the same color back onto the hatch. What you re trying to do is reveal some of the gray part of the hatch (Photos 16 through 19). Now, almost the same process as above will be done on the curved rooftop in between the hatches. Taking your alcohol dipped brush, we ll now take away from what we sponged on before, leaving behind the effect you see (Photos 20-21). Now you may notice a pattern here. I ll put the paint on, then I ll take it off. Doing this is great because taking it off is easier than putting it on. Artists call this blocking, or getting your basic colors onto the canvas and then worrying about the detailing later. The same approach goes here, as I mixed up some Burnt and Raw Sienna gouache (Photo 22), and applied that to the side of the hopper cylinder and curved roofline (Photos 23-24). Taking my soft dry brush to the surface, as in Photo 24, I will begin to stipple the fresh color, softening the textured pattern I m creating until I get the look I want (Photo 25). Once that has dried for about 15 minutes, I ll go back and 6 O Scale Trains - Sept/Oct 08

7 Sept/Oct 08 - O Scale Trains 7

8 hit the car with the alcohol dipped brush again, and stipple some more to enhance the textured look. What s nice about this is that you can always work in your color around supports, bolts, seams, etc. and then, go back over those areas and take off the color, leaving behind whatever gets caught in the cracks, etc. for a nice effect of dirt or rust collected over time (Photos 26 through 28) Rust on the Roof Using the same on and off technique, I applied this same mixture to the top of the car and to the hatches, and used my alcohol dipped brush to take off and to soften the rust effect at the same time (Photos 29 through 31). Rust Pits and Streaks Using a blend of Burnt Sienna and Raw Umber water soluble oils, I use a fine brush to place my rust pits (Photo 32), and then slightly soften them with a dry brush. If I intend to have a streak of rust coming down from the pit I will wet the area just below it with Micro Sol, and proceed to paint the streak coming down (Photo 33). I do it this way because my brush will glide better on a wet surface. Once the streak is down, I can make it finer by using a wet brush dipped in Micro Sol and pass the brush right down along side the streak 8 O Scale Trains - Sept/Oct 08 to sharpen it up. If I want to soften the streak, I ll just use a damp brush and dab the streak, which will feather it out a bit (Photos 34-36). The Ends Get Detailed Again The ends of the hopper also need some rusting because rusty rain water drips down over time from the roofwalk onto the inside portion of the ends of the car. The wheels from the cars on either end also kick up water over time and continually take a toll on the ends of the car. Nothing but some stippling and softening of my water soluble oils here, to create the look of rust slowly trying to take over the ends of this car (Photos 37-38).

9 32 Couplers Getting the right color and texture that I wanted for the couplers was a blend of the water soluble oils using Raw Umber and Burnt Sienna brushed on and then, using a cosmetic sponge with the same paint mixture on the end of it, I dabbed it all over the coupler to get a subtle texture. The same goes for the coupler box (Photo 39) Sept/Oct 08 - O Scale Trains 9

10 Trucks I took apart the trucks, laid them out and spray painted them with Rustoleum Primer, which actually has a kind of oxide reddish/rust color, to it as my base coat. I then used the same sponging technique as I did on the couplers, using the Raw Umber and Burnt Sienna. To make the trucks have an illusion of realism, character and depth, I sponged the edges and bearing caps with a mixture of white gouache that I toned down by blending it with the mixture I used for the trucks (Photos 40 through 44) Wheels I first masked the treads by placing my wheels in a kind of jig I created using a threaded pipe coupler that I found at my local hardware store. The face of the wheel sits perfectly into the fitting and another fitting is placed on top, then I spray my base coat of Rustoleum Primer, and stipple brush the wheels with some of the Raw Umber and Burnt Sienna mixture until I get the look I want (Photo 45). When everything had dried and I was satisfied with the results, I sealed the paint layers using a coat of airbrushed Dullcote and reassembled the car. u O Scale Trains - Sept/Oct 08

11 P&D Hobby Shop Groesbeck, Fraser, MI Open Mon-Fri 10-8, Sat 10-6, Sun 12-5 Fax: Power or Repower Kits for Red Caboose GPs PDP2201K-Repower kit, Red Caboose GP9, P&D brass EMD Blomberg trucks PDP2201K-Repower Kit, Red Caboose GP9 with P&D brass Blomberg trucks...$ s&h PDP2200K-Repower Kit, Red Caboose GP9 with plastic Blomberg trucks...$ s&h The P&D TWIN TOWER DRIVE for the Red Caboose GP body kit is functionally equivalent to the P&D power units already available for the P&D F units, GPs, RSDs, and the Weaver FAs, FBs, RS-3s and GP-38s. The Red Caboose power kits provide only the necessary power related parts to supplement the Red Caboose GP body kit. These power kits fully utilize the underframe (platform), deck, air tanks, fuel tanks, motor mounts and screws that are furnished in the Red Caboose body kit. These P&D Twin Tower Drive kits can also be used to repower existing Red Caboose GPs. Two kits are offered: #PDP2200K has plastic Blomberg trucks, while #PDP2201K features the P&D brass Blomberg trucks, which are truly some of the finest trucks on the market. Each kit also includes a powerful Pittman motor and all the necessary parts to complete the installation. Detailed instructions are included.

12 Not only was the configuration the best-selling wheel arrangement of all steam locomotives, it was the longest running as well, first appearing in the late 1830s and seeing service until the end of the steam era. The was a multipurpose locomotive that was stable, quick on rough track, and easy to maintain. As a result, more than 80,000 Americans were built for railroads of all gauges. Though they may have been common in real life, our On locomotives are anything but run-of-the-mill. Painted and striped "as delivered," our models are based on Baldwin designs for 30-inch railroads, with multiple-style accessory features that allow hobbyists to customize their locomotive. So deliver your On30 layout from the ordinary visit your favorite hobby retailer to learn more about the Spectrum On Locomotive by Bachmann. Now that's the way to run a railroad! FEATURES INCLUDE: DCC-equipped for speed, direction, and lighting dual-mode decoder with NMRA 8-pin plug for DCC or DC operation die-cast cab, boiler, frame, lead truck, drivers, and tender frame completely hidden can motor with flywheel and reduction gear box for scale speed operation room for speaker wood cab and steel cab versions wood load, coal load, and oil bunker, plus two stack styles (tapered and cap) included with all versions two easily interchangeable pilot styles (footboard and road), plus two lead truck styles (spoked and solid) included with all versions photo-etched brass fuel bunker extensions for larger loads E-Z Mate Mark II couplers, front and rear PAINTED UNLETTERED BLACK with GRAPHITE SMOKE & FIRE BOX (1890s Wood Cab & Oil Headlight) Item No PAINTED UNLETTERED BLACK with RED CAB WINDOWS, GOLD PINSTRIPES & LINING (1890s Wood Cab & Oil Headlight) Item No PAINTED UNLETTERED BLACK with GRAPHITE SMOKE & FIRE BOX, RED CAB WINDOWS, BRASS TRIM (1890s Wood Cab & Oil Headlight) Item No PAINTED UNLETTERED BLACK with GRAPHITE SMOKE & FIRE BOX ( s Steel Cab & Electric Visor Headlight) Item No PAINTED UNLETTERED BLACK with RED CAB WINDOWS, WHITE TRIM ( s Steel Cab & Electric Visor Headlight) Item No MSRP: $ PAINTED UNLETTERED BLACK with RED CAB WINDOWS, WHITE PINSTRIPES ( s Steel Cab & Electric Visor Headlight) Item No O Scale Trains Bachmann - Sept/Oct Industries, 08 Inc East Erie Avenue Philadelphia, PA

13 The Art of Finescale Michael Cougill The Odd Couple Back in May, I was invited down to an On30 Mini-Meet near Columbus, IN. Al Askerberg and his fellow modelers are having lots of fun building On30 modules and getting them together for operating sessions and shows like this one. You never know what you re going to see at meets like these; so even though I don t model in narrow gauge, I went with an open mind. The meet was well attended. There were more On30 products and vendors than I ever knew existed and the quality of the products was very nice. Several of the group s modules were set up in a corner of the room and the modeling was excellent. I ve asked Al for further coverage of the modules and the group s efforts. Combining P48 and On30 may seem like a stretch of the imagination to some. But I can t help wondering if the dual gauge combination might not be feasible. If my history studies are working, I recall that P48 got its start by a group of On3 modelers who wanted a wheel profile that would work for both standard and narrow gauge trackage. I ve also read where the standard gauge wheel profile in P48 is similar to HO Scale s RP25 wheel cross section regarding the tire width and flange depth. The only real difference is, of course, the overall diameter. The obvious way is to have a stretch of P48 track as a non-operating scenic item to simply highlight the contrast in size between standard gauge equipment and narrow gauge as shown by Al s photo. More challenging perhaps is to have operating dual-gauge trackwork that combines the two. I m not knowledgeable about the actual wheel sizes and profiles used on most On30 cars and locos. I assume that it s the standard HO Scale RP25 wheel for the most part. The main issue is would that small a diameter wheel track through a standard gauge P48 frog successfully. I think the individual narrow gauge car weight would have to be increased for consistently successful operation. I really don t know if any of this is feasible or not, but it s fun to think about. I m certain somebody has or will experiment with it and put us all to shame with the results. Scratchbuilding Lately in the magazine, we ve spoken a lot about the joys and advantages of scratchbuilding. The economy seems to be in a big hoorah for a whole host of reasons and everyone seems to have the jitters about it. In times like these, a hobby like model railroading can provide a great way to relieve some real world stress. Most of us already know that. What many have forgotten or never learned is that this hobby, more than many, is about doing something, not just having stuff. You can take a commercial car out of the box, but then what? Most of us will add some details or weather it up a bit. That can be satisfying of course, but what then? Go get another and another, until you re drowning in cardboard boxes? What do you do if no manufacturer produces the car or loco you want? And maybe they never will, because it is too obscure a prototype? If you re like many, you complain about it to whomever will listen. That s not going to get you the model you want, is it? Learning how to scratchbuild it will. Developing your skills in this area will free you from the victim mentality of nobody makes what I want. You ll never have to worry that ABC Company is taking forever to get your favorite model to market, or that they didn t do it right when they finally did get around to it. If scratchbuilding or kitbashing just doesn t appeal to you, then we re not going to change your mind no matter how many editorials we run. But you ll never know with certainty until you at least give it a try. Joe and I are working on a series of projects that we hope will further your learning in this area. You ll be hearing more about them in the near future. That said, we re always looking for good material. Some subjects like weathering freight cars are long overdue. That s why we devoted so much space to Rich Divizio s article in this issue. Rich s work speaks for itself, and I felt we should run it in full rather than stopping in the middle and making you wait two months for the conclusion. Check out his website: [ for more outstanding work. Articles on basic modeling skills like Bill Kendall s soldering piece also fill a need in our editorial mix. Our objective is to make OST as valuable a resource for your modeling enjoyment as we can. I strayed a bit off base this time with these editorial comments. Next issue, I ll get back on topic. Best regards, Mike u Photo by Al Askerberg Sept/Oct 08 - O Scale Trains 13

14 From PA Heritage O Scale Birney Drive Units Shown above: a complete interior structure for the Corgi Birney with lights and reversing headlights. Includes the 2-rail power truck. $ rail power truck for the Corgi Birney. Requires some floor removal which is not visible in the car. 8' wheelbase with scale or hirail wheels. Our hirail wheels operate on code 100 or higher. $90 Not shown: Black Beetle power unit available in wheel base from MM to 40 MM.(15/16" to 1 9/16"). $65 Pa Heritage Models Ltd. 715 Ridgeway Road, Birdsboro, PA O Scale Trains Subscription Rates: 6 issues US - Periodical Class Delivery us$35 US - First Class Delivery (1 year only) US$45 Canada/Mexico us$55 Overseas us$80 PO Box 289, Exton PA voice: fax Office hours are Mon. - Thurs. 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. Leave a message and somone will call you back. Closed Fri. thru Sun. Back issues available are: 18, 19, 20, 21& ea.; 24, 26, 27, 30, 31, 32, 35, 36, 38 & ea. Include $4.80 postage for every 4 copies. Subscriptions which start with the current issue already on the street will be charged $2 extra for postage. Subscriptions and back issues can be ordered at our website. Check our website for free downloadable PDFs of early issues. OST is published in January, March, May, July, September & November. Issues usually arrive by the second week of the issue month. If your issue is not delivered by the end of the month, call and we will replace it. Your subscription expiration date is now printed on the mailing label. Ragg s...to Riches? (570) DAVIS HILL ROAD, MIDDLEBURY CENTER, PA OURAY, COLORADO S ENGINE HOUSE (NARROW GAUGE!) Simply the finest laser cut kits you can buy! ENGINE HOUSE DETAIL SET (Details from five manufacturers!) O-SCALE (66 DETAILS) $79 new!! O-SCALE!! new!! removable roof CUTTING TORCH/CABINET CRATES/BARRELS/LADDERS/JACKS COAL BIN/TOOLS/SHELVES/WORK BENCHES AIR COMPRESSOR/STOVES/LOCKERS/AND MORE! CORRUGATED ROOFING (3.0 x 3.75-inch high ALTERNATIVE DOOR STYLES includes door openings) alternative vent styles PEEL-AND-STICK CONSTRUCTION interior framing and sheathing $210 (POSTPAID TO THE U.S.) (SHOWN WITH OPTIONAL ENGINE HOUSE DETAIL SET, 9.25 x 17-inch footprint RAILS AND TIES NOT INCLUDED) 14 O Scale Trains - Sept/Oct 08

15 Block Detection in O Scale When O Scale modelers use block occupancy detectors, they often use one of the units designed for use with DCC for the smaller scales, such as units by Dallee, NCE, and JLC/ Chubb. These units all work fine and you might think that there should be no problems with O Scale because train electricity has no direct connection to the detector. But this is not quite true. These units do reflect their small-scale birth and need some special care in O Scale, as I will note. Recall that Block Occupancy Devices detect when a train is in a certain portion of track by detecting the electrical current drawn by the train. The train s presence may be used to actuate a block signal or a road crossing s light/gate/bell, or a light at a remote switching center, as is done on the prototype. It may indicate that a train is in a remote staging area or hidden track, or it may protect a junction or control a reversing loop. To be complete, we should note that a train can also be detected by actuating a mechanical switch or breaking a light beam, but here we are talking about current detection, which, in fact, is the way the prototype detects a train. Model train current detectors go back at least to the famous Twin-T detector that Linn Wescott described in But detection is much easier with AC power to the trains because a transformer can be used to avoid any connection between the detection circuitry and the track. Mark Woodwell described block detection in OST #7, Mar/Apr 2003, and I described it in OST #11, Nov/Dec If each of your blocks is longer than the length of a train and each train has either lighted passenger cars or a lighted caboose, then the detection will work properly. If you have longer trains, then you will need to scatter in some other cars that draw electricity. The standard way to do this is to fasten a resistor across a wheel axle to draw some current. Since the unit has to recognize both the high current of a locomotive and the low current of a light bulb or resistor on the axle, sensitivity is an important parameter. The photo shows (left to right) a Dallee (with 2 short pieces of #14 wire), NCE, and JLC (with an added relay) units. Each of these has a transformer called a toroid that looks like a candy lifesaver with a hole in the middle. One wire (but not both) supplying electrical power to the track is routed through that hole. All three of these units need 12 volt DC power and this power should have good regulation to keep the unit from thinking that a glitch on the power is track detection. Also, they all have an on-board light-emitting-diode (LED) indicator to show when they are activated. This helps with installation and debugging. The most complete detector unit of the three is the Dallee TRAK-DT-365 which is on a two by three inch printed circuit board and includes a double pole, double throw relay that can control two five amp circuits. It is hard to imagine signal circuitry that needs five amps but you could use this on a streetcar line to stop the following car until the present car has moved out of the block. The toroid has a 0.2 diameter hole which will barely accept two #14 size power wires. Thoughtfully, it has holes and spacers for mounting. This unit is part of a family of detection items and Dallee can provide further details on them. The NCE BD20 unit is only 0.8 by 1.4 in size but does not include a relay. The toroid has a 0.18 diameter hole. It can actuate signals directly or its circuitry will drive an outboard relay. It also has provision for you to add a control to decrease the sensitivity. The Chubb DCCOD unit, produced by JLC, consists of a 1.75 by 2.85 PC board and a bag of parts which you assemble. Assembly is pretty easy. It does not include a relay, but one can be added. The toroid also has a 0.18 hole. It has a sensitivity control. There are two cautions that O Scalers need to consider when using any of these devices. First, the instructions say to wrap several turns of wire through the toroid for increased sensitivity. You would also need several wires for a grade crossing indicator that protected several tracks. But the hole in the Dallee unit will only accept 2 turns of #14 wire and the others will only accept 1 turn. Nevertheless, you should not do that because the stress of trying to wrap stiff power wire may damage or break the contacts to the circuit board. So use smaller wire, but not the tiny wire they recommend or furnish. I suggest #16 stranded wires (extension cord or loudspeaker wire) with the insulation stripped off and a thinner insulator put on. I use gummed labels from my computer printer because they are thin and they stay in place. Also do not connect this wire to the tiny terminals on the PC board or connector as they say. Instead connect it to your track wiring through a separate terminal block. Second, the directions imply that you will place all your detectors in one place, near your block control panel. The companies have connectors and racks to neaten up such an installation. Maybe you will do that and run the heavy power wires to it. But it is more convenient to place the detector unit where it is detecting block current and not have to run longer heavy wires. Then you run the 12 volt power leads to the detector and the output leads to what is being controlled, usually signals or grade crossing lights nearby. If you take these simple precautions, then these units will work fine with your O Scale layout. For additional information you can reference the following websites: [ [ [ u Sept/Oct 08 - O Scale Trains 15

16 Rail-Related Industries from B.T.S.! Cabin Creek Coal Tipple The Cabin Creek Coal Tipple is a freelanced composite of several different tipples located in West Virginia and Pennsylvania. Three tracks are serviced here. The tipple kit is laser cut and engineered for easy construction. Detail castings and bulkheads are included. Overall size is about 2 x 4 as shown. #18105-L $ McCabe Planing Shed The McCabe Lumber Co. Planing Shed should be called a planing mill complex since it is more than just a simple shed. The planing complex consists of the transfer shed, two planing buildings, boiler house, water tank, and loads of details, and is a key part of the Slatyfork Sawmill Complex. The Planing Shed can also be used as a standalone manufacturing industry such as a box factory. Slatyfork Sawmill Slatyfork is a double bandsaw mill that can handle the load! This Master Creations kit consists of laser-cut basswood, plywood, and detail castings. Interior walls and floors are included. And the standard features of B.T.S. kits are there... positionable doors and window sashes, slot and tab construction, brass door knobs, and well-engineered construction providing fast and easy assembly. The footprint is about a scale 115 x 65. #18300 $ This kit consists of laser-cut basswood, plywood, and cardstock, tarpaper roofing, brass, urethane, and white-metal detail castings, and loads of character. The tabbed, well-engineered construction provides fast and easy assembly. The footprint is about 70 x 90. #18225 $ Elliott and Sons Supply While it is a freelanced structure, the Elliott & Sons Supply was based upon a tomato packing house in Florida. The kit features laser-cut basswood, cardstock and plywood; tabbed, easy construction; loads of Detail Castings; laser-cut, self-sticking shingles & sashes; laser-etched nail holes; optional skylights; and a scale 40 x 60 Footprint. #18106 $ Shipping - $5.00/order in the US All Scale Catalog - $5.00 Celebrating over 29 Years of Service since 1979

17 MTH DCS to DCC Conversion Ray Grosser MTH brought a very nice die-cast to the world of O Scale. It sounds fair with the DC sound effects, but to operate it one needs to use DCS. I believed that operationally it could be greatly improved with dedicated DCC. Also, some of the sound effects are toy train like, and are not easily shut off without the MTH command system. I wanted to control all the sounds and get rid of the smoke generator (actually an oil distribution system) too, so this is how I did it. Taking the engine and tender apart is the easy work (Photos 1-2). Large Phillips head screws attach the superstructure to the chassis, and the same for the tender. Once the superstructures are separated, the careful removal of an enormous amount of electronic gear is undertaken with a screwdriver, some wire nippers, and a pencil soldering iron. I attempted to salvage as much of the MTH electronics as possible because I needed to use several pieces in the new installation. Replacing the electronics with the new DCC decoders was much easier than taking out the old stuff. Among the first things you will discover is that the engine drivers are insulated on the right side, not the left. You have to compensate for this if you intend to take power from the 1 2 engine frame and drivers for any of the DCC electronics. I also found the tender trucks are isolated from the frame, and the two trucks are turned 180 degrees apart so that four wheels (only two axles on each truck have wipers) can pick up power from the rails. This means that you may not need a wire from the engine to the tender for pickup but the additional four drivers would help at switches and crossings. The locomotive does not have pickup wipers on the insulated drivers. Obviously, some wipers could be installed that would increase pickup to all eight engine wheels if you want to go to the effort. Make sure that when you are installing the new decoders you orient the pickup wires from the tender trucks to the correct terminals. An ohmmeter is an absolute necessity for this project to verify the wires running between the engine and tender. I will attempt to explain this later on. There are two ways of making the locomotive chuff sound: the installation of a SoundTraxx EXH-220 exhaust cam, installed with a wiper on the fourth driver, or using the auto-chuff capabilities of the sound decoders. I used the SoundTraxx exhaust cam with a bronze wire wiper to get a positive four square exhaust sound. Taking the rear driver off the locomotive to install the SoundTraxx disc was a little unorthodox because I could not get a wheel puller between the frame and wheel, but I found a way to do it. (Courage is a necessary component in your make up; I don t think replacement drivers are all that easy to come by.) Materials I used a NCE D408SR rated for 4 amps for the engine motor and lights. The Pittman motor stalls at a little over 3 amps and I do not want to get too close to the decoder rating for any reason. Another decoder that would work in this application is the Digitrax DG583S decoder; it is rated for 5 amps. I have been told that NWSL makes a motor that draws much less amperage, but the mounting of the MTH motor was so well designed that I did not want to change it. I am also not sure what the stall amperage on another manufacturer s motor is, so going with a higher amperage decoder was my best option. For the sound, I chose a SoundTraxx Tsunami TSU-1000 to piggy back on the D408SR. The rating on the sound decoder is not affected by the power needed for the motor as we are only driving the sound system. I also chose a 2-inch speaker rated at 8 ohms. The 4 ohm Sept/Oct 08 - O Scale Trains 17

18 MTH speaker might have worked but it was an easy task to replace it. Just unscrew the mounting plate and install the new speaker. Decoder Installation To get power from the tender to the engine, I have historically run the wires through some heat shrink tubing and made the connections look like the stoker tube. However this would not permit the engine to be uncoupled from the tender, something that is really needed in O Scale. The problem I found in using a soldered pin and socket assembly was the constant flexing of the wire at the plug eventually caused the wire to fail. A stout connection is an absolute necessity. I chose to reuse the harness and plug from the salvaged MTH electronics because all the wires are color coded through the pins and socket (Photo 3). I turned the 90 degree upbend of the harness 180 degrees and reinstalled the socket upside down in the locomotive frame. This forced the wire close enough to the drawbar to appear as a stoker tube while retaining the ability to uncouple the engine and tender for movement or service and hid the elbow in the harness wire. In order to accomplish this rework of the 10 pin socket, several things needed to be done. After removing the bracket that holds the socket on the MTH assembly, I had to cut slots under the lip of the bracket in order to install the board and socket upside down, lower and in the right plane to receive the plug from the tender. The slots are easily cut with a band saw and a metal blade. A hacksaw or a backsaw will also work. I discovered that the wires would hit the top of the lug that is above the drawbar, so it had to be milled down. I do not own a milling machine, so I used a motor tool with a carbide bit and carefully removed about a 1/8 inch (Photo 4). I used Tap Magic (Steco Corporation, Little Rock AR) as a cutting fluid. It was not meant for this kind of milling, but I did not want to use something that would not clean off, and this stuff really works. It keeps the flutes of the mill clean. This cast metal will fill them in a hurry and cutting is nearly impossible when that happens. Once I had the lug milled down, I finished it with a sander and file, and then coated the top with liquid tape to insure that no shorts were possible between the board and the frame. I then reinstalled the board with the two longer screws from the third rail bosses (Photo 5). The longer screws were needed because of the two pieces of plastic I used to lower the socket to the center line of the hole in the cab brace. This lined the socket up perfectly, allowing the plug 18 O Scale Trains - Sept/Oct 08 easy access. I installed the new decoders and the speaker in the tender so the needed wires to the locomotive would be transferred through the MTH harness. Since I wanted the engine to also pick up power from the non-insulated side of the frame, I ran the red power pickup wire from the engine frame to the decoder in the tender. All of the other wires run from the tender to the engine two for the headlight on function 0 (The blue common wire and the white headlight wire), one for the cab lights on green function 5, one brown for the SoundTraxx EXH-220 cam, and one purple for the marker lights on function 6. Functions 5 and 6 attach to the common (blue) wire in the locomotive; so a separate wire from the tender is not needed. A caution is in order here. The installation sheets clearly state: Never, ever make connections to the decoder while it is powered. Never, ever allow the decoder leads to come in contact with any DCC track wiring except those specifically designed for that purpose. And then there is the catch all specification that will void the warranty: Never, ever remove the decoder s protective shrink tubing. I cannot be held responsible for anything other than the warning pay attention. Sound Cam Installation The frame does not come apart with a cover plate over the driver boxes as is normally the case with brass model frames, and the use of a NWSL wheel puller was not possible because of insufficient clearance between the wheel and frame. This is a die cast frame with no spring rigging or equalization; just a drilled frame for the bronze bearing boxes

19 with the axles run through and wheels pressed on after they are installed in the frame. I used two flat screwdrivers narrow enough to go between the inner hub and the frame and a small hammer to successfully remove one driver wheel and tire (Photos 6-7). If you pry against the wheel spokes and the frame, there is a good probability you will be looking for a replacement wheel set. The spokes were never meant to take the force of the pull. Even on a prototype wheel, the hub must be engaged. I have no idea what the MTH quartering jig looks like, but 6 of the tire to limit the side-to-side play on the bronze bearing, or preventing the wheel edges from touching the frame. This method of machining is ingenious but problematic for the installation of the exhaust cam (Photo 8). Drilling the hole only for the axle size will not allow the 8 7 cam to be flush with the back side of the wheel, so I actually had to drill the center of the cam out large enough to go over the hub (approximately 3/8 ). It is not going to be all that difficult to make the cam work; you just need to insure that you have conductivity between the wheel and the cam. I glued the cam to a piece of wood with white glue, then drilled the hole in the center of the cam with a newly sharpened 3/8 bit in a drill press (Photo 9). I then soaked the cam back off the wood block and cut it to the size of the inside 9 I have sufficient experience to get the driver back on close enough to make it run smooth. If you are afraid of removing a driver because you might not get it quartered when you reinstall the wheel, then opt for the auto-chuff feature on the sound decoder. What is the orientation of the cam on the driver? If you want to be perfectly squared, the cam center would be 45 degrees off the main crank. This will give you an exhaust sound for one side of the engine as the valve releases the expanded steam from the cylinders, and then the other side as the drivers turned. Each turn of the driver will give you four exhaust sounds. A locomotive tuned by a master mechanic would be four square, or all of the same length and sound. A locomotive with a worn valve or a worn pin in the valve gear for example, would have a sound that would be what is best described as a fluff, a term I heard at the roundhouse in Glenwood Minnesota on the Soo Line when I was young. What I could not do is solder the SoundTraxx EXH-220 exhaust cam to the wheel center or the axle. The wheel center is diecast so soldering would not work. Also, the cam has to have a hole of sufficient size to go over the back hub on the wheel, which actually sticks out further than the back side diameter of the tire and it worked like it was supposed to. According to the paper included with the cam, SoundTraxx says that a conductive paint will work. I finally located some GC Electronics conductive paint at a radio parts supply business, and this stuff is not cheap ($24 for 2 ounces). Clean all the black off of the driver back, hub, and rim with a wire brush in a motor tool before gluing the cam to the inside of the driver (Photos 10-11). Use the conductive paint to make the connection between the driver tire and the cam s metal surfaces. You can paint the inside edge of the cam and tire, but it would have been better had I painted it on before reinstalling the driver. (I got in a hurry and reinstalled the driver before I had the paint.) You have only one chance to put the driver back on the axle with the SoundTraxx EXH-220 exhaust cam because removing it again would possibly destroy the cam. You Sept/Oct 08 - O Scale Trains 19

20 an absolute necessity. Once the electronic board is secured to the frame, bend and shape the bronze wire to fit and solder it in place to contact the cam on the wheel. Photo 13 shows how I made mine. Tender and Trucks 13 have to quarter the driver on the axle first before pressing it back on. This is not as difficult as it might appear. Model locomotives have a lot more slop in the quartering than a real steam locomotive. A real locomotive with the kind of quartering slop that models have would be scrapped. Did I say scrapped? Yes, at the least re-bushed. In a real locomotive this amount of slop would be inches, not thousands of an inch. The normal clearance for a new bushing was a mere and was shopped if it got to You have room for a small error in quartering here. Prototype and live steam model axles are milled with a keyway 90 degrees apart from each other on each end of the axle. The wheel hubs have a keyway centered on the axle bore and opposite from the crank pin bore. All they have to do is align the wheel on the key and press it on; most models under 3/4 inch scale do not have the keys or keyways. When the cam is installed, reinstall the driver using a small C-clamp squarely over the axle with a styrene shims over the inside hub of the driver. The shims, one on each side, are needed to flush out the hub with the counterweight so the clamp faces will fit squarely. Not being square over the axle could potentially put the driver on crooked and you will have a wobble. Line the left side rod so it is lined up with the axle centers, and place the right wheel on the axle to line up with the adjacent driver. Check it several times and if you are satisfied, carefully tighten the C-clamp and the wheel will slide into place (Photo 12). Install the cam wiper wire by first fitting the electronic board to the frame. I used a bolt drilled and tapped into the frame to accomplish this. Again, care is needed in tapping the hole and use of Tap Magic thread cutting fluid is The original MTH tender trucks had an intermittent short on curves, even large radius curves, so I wanted replace them with a pair of Precision Scale Co. tender trucks. The PSC trucks are sprung and have absolutely perfect detail in the side frames. Photo 14 shows the original MTH truck on the left and the new PSC truck on the right. The copper bracket is a shelf for the decoders. The first thing I found was that the PSC outside journal to O Scale Trains - Sept/Oct 08

21 journal centers are a scale 8-9 and the king pin is centered on the center axle. The MTH trucks scale out to be 8-4 outside journal to journal, and the king pin is located (1/8 inch) off center. This makes the stamped MTH bolsters in the frame useless in fitting the PSC trucks. Also, because the drawbar between the engine and tender is not insulated on the MTH engine, a way had to be found to insulate the trucks completely from the frame. Rather than try to invent a drawbar bushing of plastic, I chose to make new plastic bolsters for the tender and insulate everything from the frame. Starting with the MTH tender underframe, I found that the body bolsters were formed in the sheet metal frame with a die and forming tool. The diameter of the punch area is 0.5 (1/2 inch) and in order to center the PSC trucks, these formed bolsters had to go. I drilled the underframe at these punched areas with a 1/2-inch bit in a drill press and finished the removal of the whole punched area with a carbide bit in a hand motor tool. The carbide bit cuts metal extremely well, but it makes shavings of metal that fly everywhere. Wear safety glasses, and preferably cover your body with your official tool and die maker s apron. After cutting off the stamped bolsters from the frame, I enlarged the holes to be able to move the king pins back 1/8- inch on the new body bolsters. I fabricated the body bolsters from a sheet of styrene. I cut two pieces 2-1/4 inches long and 1 inch wide and secured them to the frame with two 2-56 flat head screws tapped into the metal frame. This is the foundation for the truck bolsters (Photo 15). I made the truck bolsters using two pieces of styrene 1/2 by 5/8 and glued them in the center of the body bolster at the correct distance from the end so that the new kingpin centered the PSC trucks (Photo 16). The king pin hole has to clear the spring that comes with the PSC trucks so the holes were drilled with a 13/64 diameter bit in a drill press. This will clear the spring but you do not want it to go all the way through the bolster, so a bottom must be installed. For that I used a piece of 1/16 styrene cut to the same size, and drilled the kingpin holes with a 9/64 bit to clear the diameter kingpin screw but hold the spring in place. The build up of plastic is 0.250, which brings the coupler to the perfect height after the trucks are installed (Photo 17). The MTH tender trucks are obviously designed for the 3-Rail market, with 2-Rail wheel sets installed. The 2-Rail wheels are insulated between the axle and the wheel on one side only, just like the rest of the world. After that, nothing is 15 the same as the rest of the world. The MTH insulating system is very unique. One truck has plastic journals on both side frames, making all the wheels insulated from the rail to the frame. Two axles have bronze wipers from an insulated pad to the axles, making the power pick up on those two axles only. The other truck has bronze journals on one side, and plastic on the other. This will give you power off the wheels that are not insulated, but they have installed wipers on that truck as well even though power is being transferred to the frame on one side. It is not enough for good operation. To wire the new PSC trucks, I secured some #30 gauge flexible wire to the truck side frames and ran it through the tender bottom through the edge of the new bolsters. This will give six wheel pickup from the tender to the black wire to the decoder. The red wure uses the non-insulated side of the engine for pickup and is routed through the harness between the engine and the tender. The backup light in the tender only needed to pick up the common (Blue) wire off the decoder and the yellow lead which lights the bulb when the engine is in reverse. Sound Decoder Installation The SoundTraxx Tsunami decoder is also mounted in the tender, with the two pickup wires going directly to the NCE decoder and two wires to the speaker (Photo 18). The Tsunami already has a capacitor installed. If you are using a DSX decoder, you need to solder in a rated capacitor to the plus leg of the speaker. You also need a 33ohm resister rated for a 1/2 amp between the red decoder pick up wire to limit power surges to the HO decoder that might result when power is first applied to the track with the O Scale DCC system. (HO Scale runs on less base voltage than O Scale.) Since I am only using the F-5 (Marker Lights) light function on the Tsunami decoder, I pulled the rest of the wires out of the Sept/Oct 08 - O Scale Trains 21

22 18 plug, one at a time. If you don t need them, fix them so they cannot make a smoke generator out of your decoder. Tying them in a neat bundle may not always work. (Yes, I have experience doing that as well. The little bitty wire strand in one lead touched a little bitty wire strand in another lead and poof. It was over before I could say: Rats. ) It is sometimes necessary to isolate each of the decoders in the event that you want to change any of the CV values, the sound volume for example. These switches are not absolutely necessary if you want to run your pride and joy on a non-dcc equipped layout. The Tsunami will come on and some sound will come out once you achieve 7-9 volts on the track, but it is annoying because the engine will move long before any sound comes out. You can shut it off completely with this switch. I accomplished this by locating exact copies of the DPDT slide switches in the MTH assembly, and installed them in the tender frame. I wired them up to the NCE and SoundTraxx decoders to isolate them from one another (Photo 19). The power can be turned off or on to either decoder for changes in one or the other. That way there will be no crossover between the two decoders on any of the CV values. It is possible to end up with some mysterious operations if you change something in one and inadvertently changed the other. (Yes, I have experience with that as well.) To make them operate, solder one lead of the decoder wire to the center pin and the other lead to the pick up point on the pin adjacent to it on the same side. This will make a straight SPST switch that is already sized for the screws in the tender bottom. If I could have located SPST switches with holes the same as the tender, I would have used them instead. You will have to turn the tender over to operate these switches, but that is better in my mind than installing the out of scale things on top of the tender where they might be seen (Look at Photo 17). Photo 20 shows a view of the completed wiring in the locomotive showing only the wires needed to make the headlight, marker lights, and cab light operate. This is a far simpler way to make this engine really operate well. The marker lights turned out to be LEDs and I managed to make little smoke generators out of both of them. I replaced them with 1.5 volt 40 ma bulbs with a 470 ohm resister in one leg of each bulb. The locomotive headlight, backup light, and cab light all work fine on 12 volts, but since O Scale DCC track power is more than that, I put 150 ohm resisters in one leg of each of those bulbs and toned them down to make them last longer. I am pleased with the results. The only thing that I found a bit difficult was programming the cam operation on the chuff sound. The SoundTraxx manual is 77 pages long, and it took several tries to find someone who knew which page the CV values were located on. Once I found that, everything programmed immediately. There has to be an easier way possibly an opening for some entrepreneur to write a simple cheat sheet to accomplish what now takes an engineering doctorate to gain control over these things. This is not a difficult conversion, but does take a little time and effort. In the end, it is one that makes the MTH a much easier engine to program and operate; and frankly, I think the SoundTraxx locomotive sound is the best. Obviously it is a matter of opinion, and now you know mine. u 22 O Scale Trains - Sept/Oct 08

23 Beaver Creek Station laser cut wood, the industries finest plaster castings, reasonably easy assembly... overall footprint is 6 1/2 x 10 #6040 O scale $ Hopkins Road Dummerston, VT Years in business specializing in DCC & Sound! Battery & Track Powered O On30 On3 Fn3 G # CR 5, Ridgway CO 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 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 Sept/Oct 08 - O Scale Trains 23

24 The Williams by Bachmann Platinum Club is Back! Platinum Club car will be shipped later in the year as soon as the production is complete. Membership Benefits for 2008: limited edition Platinum Club Car commemorating the first year of Williams by Bachmann 2008 Williams by Bachmann catalog quarterly newsletters new product announcements s All this for only $30.00 makes ours the most affordable O-gauge club. Join today! Membership fee is $30 per year. Acceptable forms of payment are MasterCard, Visa, Discover, American Express, or check /money order payable to Bachmann Industries, Inc. To join, call ext. 402, or clip or photocopy this registration form, provide your complete contact information with payment and send to: Bachmann Industries, Inc. Attn: Platinum Club 1400 East Erie Ave. Philadelphia, PA Williams by Bachmann Platinum Club Registration Name: Address: Apt. #: City: State/Province: Zip/Postal Code: Country: Day Phone: NOTE: Your address will be kept confidential.) Clip or photocopy this registration form, provide your complete contact information with payment and send to: Bachmann Industries, Inc. Attn: Platinum Club 1400 East Erie Ave. Philadelphia, PA O Bachmann Scale Trains Industries, - Sept/Oct Inc East Erie Ave, Philadelphia PA

25 Are You Expired? Your subscription expiration is now printed on your mailing label! Scratchbuilt Steel Mill Model Building Services Models built by Stu Gralnik 264 Marret Rd Lexington MA Ph: Assembled buildings from any manufacturer s kit. Kitbashed, painted and detailed... Just Like Real! Sept/Oct 08 - O Scale Trains 25

26 Traction Action Roger C. Parker A Visit with Bill Brandt and His Popular Traction Module For me, Bill Brandt s traction modules have always been one of the highlights of events like the Boston Trolley Meet. The action is both riveting and continuous, the scenery is pleasing, and the modules are at a comfortably high level for viewing the trolleys. I m never alone as there are usually several other modelers and photographers gathered around. Bill was kind enough to respond to my questions and provide me with details about the background, construction, and operation of his layout. Although the layout is deceptively simple, I was surprised by the complexity of many elements, such as the electronics. The Beginning Although Bill had some Lionel equipment when he was growing up, it wasn t until his first son was three that Bill began modeling in earnest. His first serious layout was a 3 x 5 HO trolley layout intended for his son s room. By the late 1970 s, Bill was displaying the layout at local hobby shows. Joel Lovitch offered Bill a couple of O Scale end modules that he had. They were just bare wood with cork and track: no overhead, no scenery, no wiring. About this time the HO module got damaged; so instead of fixing it, he switched completely to O Scale. As Bill puts it: Two end loops is not much of a layout, even if it s modular! So, I built a straight module with a pair of side tracks and a crossover between the two mainlines. I named it Yard. At a local show, a fellow looked at the layout with the three modules and asked if I was looking for company. I said sure, and he built a module or two, both straights, to go in the lineup. We did a number of shows before he was transferred to Dallas, Texas. About this time, the end modules got scenery; one as a city block called Town, the other as country called Remote Loop which became Arlop. Although Bill was following East Penn standards in most cases, he desired an increased layout height. Having obtained 2x2s in 8-foot lengths for legs, he decided to cut them in half and reduce them later, if necessary. He found, however, that a lot of folks liked the 51 inch level. Bill noted, I think mine was the first modular layout with the higher height. Layout description With several more modules built, the layout evolved to what is referred to as the standard configuration: about 23 feet long and ranging in width from 16 inches to 6 feet. There are seven modules in this loop to loop configuration, with a long section of double track and a short section of single track between the loops. All overhead wire is phosphor bronze, one size for the contact wire and a finer size for the span and pull-off wires. From left to right (viewer s reference) the modules are named. 26 O Scale Trains - Sept/Oct 08 Rinks The most complex module and the base of operations, Rinks is a two part module covering about 4 x 7 feet. It is modeled after a location on the Lehigh Valley Transit system in Norristown, PA. It was designed from photos using Cadrail. Bill never visited the actual location until after the module was built. The LVT freight station and the apartment house are scratchbuilt, including doors and windows. The model shop building uses wall castings for an enginehouse with windows and freight doors cut into the castings. Street and sidewalks are Durham s water putty, carved and painted. The tree is Scale Trees. The background fence is from Berkshire Valley. Because there would be a lot of in-street trackage, no ties were used. Thin double sided circuit board was cut in strips and glued to the plywood. Then code 100 rail was soldered to the circuit board. This kept the pavement to about 1/8 of an inch in thickness. Despite this, the module s weight is still marginally too heavy. Switches are handlaid single point, each one made for a specific location. All four are activated by Tortoise switch machines with a spring linkage. Line poles are three piece brass rod and tubing. Electrical sections are in the track to avoid the ugliness that a lot of insulators in the overhead wire would create. Esses Esses is a variable width module four feet long, which adapts the non-east Penn single track interface of Rinks to the two track East Penn modular standard. It has the electronics for controlling the entry into the single track section (more on this later). The track layout was also done using Cadrail and is handlaid, using Clover House PC and wood ties with code 100 rail. The switch is a handlaid two point spring switch controlled by an HO Scale Caboose Industries groundthrow. Line poles are made of one brass rod and two pieces of brass tubing so that they look like the stepped steel poles commonly used in cities. On Bill s layout the overhead is designed for pole only use. The shelter was a kit whose manufacturer is long forgotten. Figures are from miscellaneous sources. The street and sidewalk are Durham s water putty, carved and painted. The bank building is a Les Lewis background printed sheet that was cut apart and pasted on layers of poster board. The front steps, sidewalls, and roof are added. Ecks Like Rinks, Ecks uses code 100 rails on PC board, three part line poles and very plain scenery. It was designed using Cadrail to layout the curves needed in moving from one distance to the front to the other and to get the switch correct. Rocky Ridge Rocky Ridge is a short straight double track three foot long

27 module started by Bill s sons and finished by Bill. Rocky Ridge utilizes sectional track with code 128 rail. Line poles are wood dowels with double side arm supports of brass rod, brass castings, and wire. Kingston Point Kingston Point is a 5-6 foot straight double track module also modeled after a real location: the trolley stop shelter located in Kingston Point Park in Kingston, NY. This was once the location of an amusement park, which could be reached by the Kingston trolley system, by the Ulster and Delaware (U&D) railroad, and by Hudson River boats. Bill created the shelter from scratch, using measurements made on the still existing (at that time) shelter. Kingston Point uses Atlas flextrack again, without cork roadbed. The line poles are of 1/4 inch welding rod with brass castings on the overhead. Figures are Circus Craft and other, cars are by Ertl. Road is of Durham s Water Putty, scribed and painted to be like concrete. Wood timbers in the road crossing are also of water putty. Arlop Arlop was one of the first two modules. The track is old Atlas flextrack with code 148 rail and was on cork roadbed. Line poles are wooden 1/4 inch dowels. No brass castings were used at the beginning on this module; some are on the module now as a result of later changes. A construction style suitable for poles and pantographs is used. This was based on observation of the prototype overhead on the Key System. Block insulators are a piece of perfboard with a hole drilled out to diameter. Wires are bent up and through the hole and then separated with a piece of toothpick, followed by CA glue. (This method was learned from Dave Cooper, who used it in HO Scale modules.) The trees are from Woodland Scenic, and others. Yard Yard was an early build to give some straight running, along with car storage space and a crossover to allow for reversing the cars without handling. It uses old Atlas code 148 flextrack and switches and no cork roadbed. A small control panel gives route-oriented, pushbutton-control of switches. Line poles are dowels. Overhead uses brass castings instead of wire to hang the contact wire from the supporting wires. On the two sidings, wooden platforms at track level are used. This makes the placing of cars on the track easier - just slide them sideways till the flanges drop into the flange ways. Electrical and 5-car Operation! The electrical and control system on the modules are basically to East Penn standards. The control panel is located on the Rinks module. A dual power pack is used; one for the mainline, and one for the loop on Rinks (this is not a dual cab system). Switches on the panel control various blocks and the position of the track switches. Because the standard layout is a loop to loop with some single track, there is a possibility of cornfield meets, and only a single car could be run without paying very close attention. An automatic stopping circuit was devised and is located on the Esses module. It uses three Bruce Chubb current detecting circuits on three blocks on the module. When a car goes onto the single track block it picks a relay that removes power from the block of track in front of the shelter. This relay stays picked while the car is in the Rinks loop. When the car comes back onto Esses and clears the single track block, the relay is dropped and a car at the shelter can proceed. With this circuitry, two cars can be run automatically and not collide. If a third car is placed on the track, it may come up behind a car stopped at the shelter and collide with it. To allow still more cars to be automatically run, East Penn standard block stopping circuitry was added to both the inbound and outbound tracks on Rocky Ridge, Kingston Point, and Arlop modules. This created six additional places where cars can be stopped. These operate by using one rail as a signal rail, and when it is shorted to the Drawn for O Scale Trains Magazine by Carey Hinch Sept/Oct 08 - O Scale Trains 27

28 December 2002, the Albany Train Shop: the standard configuration of modules. April 1982: the first two O Scale Modules. The nearer module becomes Town and the far module Arlop. other rail, a relay is picked that opens the connection to a section of overhead. Now up to five cars can be run safely and not collide; the operator can talk to visitors. When this many cars are run at one time, there is a lot of starting and stopping as one car at a time moves up into the next block emptied by the preceding car. But only one car is in the Rinks loop and single track at any one time. BF&M Baldwin Forge & Machine Box 5, Baldwin MD 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 or rrjjf@aol.com Because modern technology (DCC) can make cars all run at the same speed where regular DC cannot, DCC was added to the system a few years ago. A Lenz system is used with the ability to control up to eight cars at one time. The layout is easily switched from DC to DCC and back. This is useful since most guest cars are still DC, while many of Bill s cars now have decoders in them and are used at non-meet shows. No problems have been found with the Chubb detectors or the East Penn circuits with the use of DCC. Note that these are the original Chubb circuits and not the newer optimized ones for DCC. The next time you re at a traction meet, be sure to visit Bill s layout, and perhaps introduce yourself as an O Scale Trains Magazine reader. u East Gary Car Co. Dept OST 3828 St. Joseph Ct Lake Station IN 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. Nos O SCALE/PROTO 48 Kit #124/124-P $49.95 Based on 1917 prototype built by Mt. Vernon Car Co. Double sheath with Dreadnought ends Steel underframe Andrews trucks Kit includes couplers and decals Also available SACRAMENTO NORTHERN Boxcar Nos Kit #125/125-P $49.95 Coming soon SP Sugar Beet Gondola 28 O Scale Trains - Sept/Oct 08

29 Custom Building, Repair & Painting Services Available Buy-Sell-Trade, Consignments-Appraisals, ebay Sales Website: Schooley s Mountain Road, Suite 8-117, Hackettstown, New Jersey Voice - (908) Fax - (908) Steam USH AT&SF UP New, Assembled, Late Run... $1,595 OMI B&O S UP New, OMI O147, Road Pilot, Overfire Jets... $1,350 USH C&O K UP L/N, Can Motor, New Gearbox... $1,395 OMI C&O J CP L/N, Jerry White Drive, Road No $1,195 OMI C&O L2a FP L/N, Poppet Valves, Road No $1,575 SS 3rd Rail CP T1c Selkirk FP Mint, 2 Rail, Road No $1,395 USH Erie K UP Mint, Late Run, Spoked Drivers, 1 of 10, Rare...$2,595 Max Gray N&W Y6a w/auxiliary Tender CP L/N, 1 of a Kind Custom Model - Exquisite...$5,495 Weaver NH I FP Mint, 2 Rail, Late Version, Script Lettering... $1,095 OMI PRR 210P75 Tender for M1b UP Mint, W/Antenna... $825 SS PRR 210F82a Welded Tender CP New, Earlier Sunset 2R, 8 Wheel Trucks...$395 Weaver PRR A5s FP New, Late Version, 1 of $695 Gem PRR F UP New, Unassembled, No. ST $425 OMI PRR HH CP New, Test Run, 1 of 10...$2,595 USH PRR I1sa UP Mint, Late Run, New Correct Driver Tires... $1,495 Key PRR J1a FP L/N, w/antenna, Road No $3,195 Westside PRR J1a UP New... $1,695 Kohs & Co. PRR K FP L/N, Postwar Version, 110p75 Tender w/antenna... $4,195 WSM PRR M UP L/N, No Backhead Detail, PSC Detail Kit...$975 WSM PRR M UP New, Last Run, Silver and Black Label... $1,395 Max Gray PRR M1a UP New, 210p75 Tender, Late Run...$1,195 USH PRR M1a CP New, Lou Boyd Custom Upgrade, Exquisite... $1,795 USH PRR M1a UP V/G, 210p75 Tender... $850 OMI PRR M1b UP Mint, 210p75 Tender w/antenna...$2,495 OMI PRR M1b FP Mint, 210p75 Tender w/antenna, No $2,595 Max Gray PRR N1s CP New, McCafferty Paint and Weathering... $1,695 WSM PRR Q UP New, KTM Japan...$2,195 Sunnyside PRR T FP Mint, Never Assembled, Modified Version...$4,895 OMI RDG T UP Mint, W/Decals, OMI $1,695 PSC SP AC-12 Cab Forward FP New, Road No. 4294, Samhongsa...$4,895 Sunset UP Early Challenger CP EX, Cockerham Drive, Road No $2,395 Sunset UP 9000 Class UP New... $1,350 OMI WM I-2 Decapod FP L/N, OMI No $1,795 Diesel Oriental ALCO C-420 High Hood Phase II UP New, High Adhesion Trucks...$750 OMI ALCO FA-1 UP New, OMI 0356, w/o Dynamic Brakes (2 Available)...$595 OMI ALCO FB-1 UP New, OMI 0358, w/o Dynamic Brakes...$595 OMI ALCO RS-11 High Hood UP New, OMI 0206, w/ Dynamic Brakes... $695 Key AT&SF EMD F3 Phase I - A-B-B-A FP L/N, Warbonnet, 1st Run, Samhongsa, Road No $5,795 OMI AT&SF EMD SD75M FP New, Warbonnet, Lights, Road No $1,995 Red Cab C&O EMD GP-9 FP V/G, Custom Built Kit, Replacement Gears (3 Avail.)...$265 OMI EMD SD-9 Phase I UP New, OMI 0306, w/dynamic Brakes...$795 OMI FM H w/cab Overhang UP Mint, OMI No. 0433, NYC/NKP/PRR/Frisco $1,095 Sunset FM Trainmaster Phase IB UP Mint, Samhongsa... $850 OMI PRR ALCO DL-600B High Hood UP New, w/antennas, OMI No. 0210A... $895 OMI PRR ALCO FA-FB-2 - A-B Units CP New, w/antennas, OMI Nos , Tower Drive... $1,795 OMI PRR ALCO FA-FB-2 - A-B Units UP New, w/antennas, OMI Nos , Tower Drive... $1,695 OMI PRR BLW RF-16 Shark Noses A-B-A UP Mint, OMI Nos. 0425, 0426, $3,495 Key PRR EMD F3 A-B-A Units FP Mint, Last Run, Late F7 Car bodies, Brunswick SS $3,695 OMI PRR P5a Electric - Box Cab UP Mint, OMI No. 0219, Last Run...$1,195 OMI PRR P5a Electric - Modified UP New, OMI No $1,095 CNJB SP ALCO RS-3 CP Good, Black Widow Scheme, Unassembled, As-Is...$295 OMI UP ALCO U-50-C UP New, OMI $1,195 OMI UP ALCO C-855-A UP New, OMI $1,295 OMI UP ALCO C-855-B UP New, OMI $1,295 OMI UP ALCO PA-1 UP New, OMI 0322, w/dynamic Brakes (2 Available)... $850 Car Works CA&E Kuhlman Car UP New, Unpowered, Nos $500 Rolling Stock AM. Std. C&O 12-1 Pullman - George Washington CP L/N, Ken Anz Custom Built, Interior (2 Available)...$595 AM. Std. C&O Observation - George Washington CP L/N, Ken Anz Custom Built, Interior, Cdr. In Chief...$595 PSC PRR B60 Baggage Car CP L/N, Pro Paint, Porthole Doors...$350 Calumet PRR P70 Coach CP New, Custom Built Walthers Kit (3 Available)...$395 Sunset 3rd PRR P70 Coach FP New, w/air, Different Road Nos. (3 Available)...$250 PSC Pullman Troop Sleeper/Kitchen Cars UP New, PSC Nos and Available...$295 PSC PRR R50B Express Reefer UP New, PSC 16123, Late Version...$350 PSC REA Steel 50' Express Reefer UP New, Late Version, PSC No (2 Avail.)... $225 Div. Point N&W CF Class Wood Caboose FP New, Late Version (2 Available)... $425 Sunset N&W C2 Class Steel Caboose UP New, Steam/Diesel Eras (2 Available)...$215 CNJB PRR N5b Cabin Car w/antenna UP New, Excellent Model...$350 Kohs & Co. PRR N5c Buy War Bonds Cabin Car FP L/N, Version 2, 1 of 10 Made... $645 Kohs & Co. PRR N5c Cabin Car FP L/N, Version 3, Black Roof, Roman Lettering...$575 ALCO PRR Wood N6a Cabin Car UP New, ALCO No. OX $175 OMI WM NE Steel Caboose UP New, OMI No $295 PSC 50' Steel Box Car UP New, PSC Nos and (Several Available)... $175 PSC AAR 40' Steel Box Car UP New, PSC Nos and (Several Available).. $175 PSC AAR 50' Steel Box Car UP New, PSC No , Double Doors, Murphy Roof... $175 Hallmark B&O M-53 40' Wagon Top Box Car UP Mint, Plain Doors, Limited Edition Made For B&O Hist. Society...$325 PSC PRR X28 Box Car UP PSC No $175 PSC Pullman Standard PS-1 40' Box Car UP PSC No , 6' Wide Doors...$245 PSC 40' Steel Reefer UP New, PSC Nos $185 Hills/Muir URTX 40' Wood Billboard Reefer CP New, Old Dutch Cleanser, Anson Paint, Rare... $450 PSC 70 Ton 3 Bay Hopper Car UP New, PSC No , Ribbed Sides... $225 USH ACF Welded Triple Hopper UP New, USH No $125 PSC Composite Twin Hopper UP New, PSC No , 1942 Design...$175 USH DL&W Offset Side Twin Hopper CP L/N, Peaked End, Clemens Paint...$145 USH NKP Offset Side Twin Hopper CP L/N, Peaked End, Clemens Paint...$145 USH Offset Side Triple Hopper UP New, USH No. 701 (2 Available)...$125 USH Panel Side Triple Hopper UP New, USH No $125 KMW PRR Gla Twin Hopper UP Mint, S-Series w/scale Couplers, AB Brakes...$375 Pac. Ltd. PRR H21 Quad Hopper UP Mint, PLTD No. PL $275 PSC PRR H25 Quad Hopper UP Mint, Samhongsa...$275 USH PRR H25 Quad Hopper UP New, USH No $145 PSC USRA 55 Ton Twin Hopper UP Mint, PSC No $170 PSC ACF 70 Ton Covered Hopper UP New, PSC No , 10 Roof Hatches... $175 KTM USA UP 50'6 Steel Gondola UP Mint, KTM USA No. 404, Drop Ends, Also PM and C&O...$325 ALCO PRR (NYC) Greenville Well Flat Car UP New, ALCO No. OX $225 CNJB Jones & Laughlin Tank Car CP EX, W/Trucks...$275 KTM USA PRR K8 42' Double Deck Stock Car UP Mint, KTM USA No. 234, Rare... $425 KMW PRR Gla, H21, H25 Hoppers, & GS Gons UP Mint, Different Versions Avail....Call Am. Std. Heavyweight Passenger Car Kits - PRR UP New Unbuilt Kits, Several Types Available...$90 Walthers Heavyweight Passenger Car Kits UP New Unbuilt Kits, Several Types Available...$65 Mid. Div. PRR X-29 Box Cars, H-21a Hoppers FP New, Different Versions, Lettering Schemes...$60 Sept/Oct 08 - O Scale Trains 29

30 THE WESTERN RESERVE O SCALE TRAIN SHOW CLEVELAND, OHIO Saturday, November 8, :00 am - 2:00 pm Admission: $ 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 CHILLICOTHE ROAD - KIRTLAND, OHIO FAX: Special Runs Exclusive *Shipping: $6.95 for 1 car $1.00 for each additional car PayPal NYC Pacemaker AAR Boxcar 3-Rail (8582) $55.95* 2-Rail (9582) $59.95* Additional Atlas O Special Runs Coming Soon: Bewind Coal 55 Ton Coal Hopper PRR Anchor Lines 40 Wood Reefer NYC X-29 Box Car 30 O Scale Trains - Sept/Oct 08 All items shown are available in four road numbers 6 Delmar Ridge Drive Wellsboro, PA amhobbies2@hotmail.com (570) Pacific Fruit Express 53 6 Exchange Reefer 3-Rail ( ) $65.95* 2-Rail ( ) $69.95* am-hobbies.com BRUMMY S PREMIUM GROUND RUBBER BALLAST Scale or Hi-Rail Size: Limestone White, Gray New Earth Colors! (All sizes) Dry Dirt, Rich Dirt (Darker), Sand Box Beige (Brighter) Coal - All Sizes. WE NOW TAKE VISA, M/C, and AMEX Phone: Fax: rd St. NW Barberton, OH Dbrumagin4@netscape.net

31 Feeding the Red Birds For those of you who follow the magazine, or in particular The Modern Image in Issue #30, Jan/ Feb, 2007, the column was based on the servicing of locomotives in run-thru coal train service. In prototype operations there can always be that unusual situation where common practice just does not work. Keep in mind that thought as I describe a situation that occurred a couple of weeks ago on a high priority intermodal train and how to model a prototype operation. On Friday May 30, 2008 I was called at 2:30 p.m. for Train Q-CLOATG3-28F, a high priority stack train from Clovis N.M. to Atlanta Ga. The train has two Locomotives, BNSF #757 and BNSF #888, both GE Dash 9-44-CWs hauling 72 loaded stack cars weighing 5,449 tons with a total train length of 6,678 feet. This is a step-off, step-on crew change at Memphis. A quick conversation between the inbound engineer and myself revealed the engines were working properly and handling the train very well. Standard procedure for this train is to check the fuel reading of each engine and report the readings to the yardmaster prior to departure. In this case, #757 showed 1500 gallons and #888 had 1400 gallons of fuel. Cleared by the yardmaster to leave, we departed Memphis at 3:30 p.m. About a half hour out of Memphis, the dispatcher contacted us via radio and advised the Corridor Chief had ordered a fuel truck to meet us at Amory, Miss. and to split the fuel load between both locomotives. Fueling engines between service facilities is not that uncommon so it was southbound to Amory where we arrived at 6:30 p.m. (Photo 1) Pulling into Track One at Amory yard, we proceeded to the south end of the yard and stopped next to the waiting fuel truck. The truck operating out of Vernon AL, is a 4000-gallon tanker that belongs to a private fuel supplier who contracts with the BNSF to supply fuel to the railroad. Set and centered, we stepped off the lead unit and advised the truck operator that the train belongs to him, to split the 4000-gallon load between each locomotive and to start fueling when ready (Photos 2 & 3). It takes the truck operator about an hour to empty the tanker between both locomotives. During that time we talked with the operator, flagged the crossing for a couple of northbound trains and took a few photos. After completing the fueling process, we checked the readings and called up the dispatcher on the radio to report the new readings and advised we were ready to go. The #757 now showed 3150, and the #888 had 3000 gallons. The dispatcher advised he was ready to move us south and gave a clear signal out of Amory yard. It was now about 7:45 p.m. Back out on the main, we met several northbound trains and arrived at Birmingham yard at 01:05 a.m. On our arrival at Birmingham, we were instructed to pull through track IC-01 to the east end where the outbound CSXT road crew would meet us and swap out. Once again this is a step-off, step-on crew change. We took a few minutes and exchanged information about the train and engines. Crew change complete, the crew van transported us to the yard office where we tied-up. It was now 2:00 a.m., 11 hours and 30 minutes on duty and the train was leaving BNSF s Birmingham yard headed for the CSXT main line and the final leg of its cross-country journey to Atlanta, Ga. You may wonder, why not take the engines to the diesel shop at Birmingham for fuel? Simple answer: Time. It took an hour to fuel at Amory. A trip to the shop at Birmingham for fuel, and a once over by the shop personnel and return to the train could take two to four hours or more. After four hours without a charged train line, the train would be required to have an initial terminal brake test. On a guaranteed service train, time saved equals money saved and improved performance. To model this scenario on a layout, all you should need would be the fuel truck, figures for the truck operator and train crew, and a location on the layout that would allow the fuel truck access to the locomotive(s). Currently I do not have a fuel tanker of the type shown in the photographs, but I have seen varieties of this type truck for sale on E-Bay. I would think shortline operations would use this same scenario to supply fuel to their locomotives as a dedicated service and storage facility would not be necessary. Now you know how the prototype handles the situation when engines need fuel and a trip to the fuel rack is not practical. You simply bring the fuel station to the engine. Until next time, check the fuel. It s embarrassing to run out on the main line. u Sept/Oct 08 - O Scale Trains

32 Lost art form... Your latest editorial touches upon an important point regarding the future of Chinese ready-to-run models and their price. It would be great to see a rise in the kit business in the US. This would stimulate the small suppliers who offer things like detail parts, decals, wheels and the other essential modeling items. I am afraid the art of model building is being lost. Model railroaders are more willing to part with cash to get something that is ready to pop on the track. Basic skills like soldering, fabrication and painting are becoming a lost art form. Gene Deimling (via ) (Gene: We are dedicated to maintaining those skills as evidenced by the weathering and soldering articles in this issue. Joe G.) Model vs. RTR I can t agree more that kit building is a dying art; some say a lost art in a few hobbies/scales. Fortunately, there are enough folks who still model, versus just plopping a RTR car on the track and watching it roll, to keep some of the cottage industry manufacturers in the black. I was not so fortunate in O Scale, possibly because of the prototypes selected (both Southern Ry.), but I believe the reasons are much deeper. O Scale has been blessed over the years, particularly within the past 20 or so, with a wealth of goodquality products to pick from. To some extent, I believe that O Scalers might feel a bit overwhelmed when they open closet doors and storage boxes to find kits that haven t seen daylight in at least 20 years. I know I had that feeling with HO, hence my decision to change to O about 7 years ago and to start producing resin kits. Another factor is the RTR prices are usually about one half the cost of a resin kit, and lack of time, funds, poor eyesight, etc. further contributes to buying RTR over spending time building kits. My discouragement with the O Scale resin market following the dismal sales of these two kits prompted me to look elsewhere: S Scale. I am convinced, however, that if I d received similar support from O modelers and dealers, I would have continued offering kits in that scale. It s not an easy hobby to be part of from a manufacturer s perspective, but it is FUN and that should be one of the driving forces to any hobby. Jim King Smoky Mountain Model Works, Inc. at with some basic tools. A magazine did that over here; it worked well as they sorted out the brass castings as part of the series. The only problem with a USA engine would be getting wheels. I would be happy to undertake doing this and making the patterns for castings, etc., if you think it would work. My other idea would be to show how to make an etched brass kit for freight stock. There is a company over here that makes some US freight cars. Anyway keep up the good work. Lee Marsh (UK, via ) (Lee: We are currently developing scratchbuilding material, some in brass, some in plastic. These will be published in future issues. Wheels are not as problematic as you may think. With all the 3-Rail models now available, they ve become a great source for drivers. Of course, they need to be converted to 2-Rail but that is not a problem. Joe G.) Electrical pick up Those of us who think that O Scale is 7mm = 1ft (1:43.5) have to build most of our locomotives from etched brass and/ or whitemetal kits. We regularly use plungers for electrical pick up. These are essentially identical to Ray Grosser s spring loaded power pickup described in OST #39. Personally I think that they work much better than phosphor bronze wipers. There are several plungers available commercially in Europe. The ones that I use are manufactured by Slater s as their part number From the photos in the article, the Slater s units appear to be smaller than Ray s. They are normally installed by drilling a hole in the locomotive frame behind each driving wheel and installing the plungers before inserting the axles and mounting the wheels. They should work equally well when mounted as Ray suggests. Slater s products are available in the USA from International Hobbies, Combie Road, Suite 6327, Auburn, CA (Usual disclaimer - I have no connection with either of the above firms.) Thanks for an excellent magazine. I look forward to receiving each new issue. Glen Suckling (via ) Scratchbuilding Series? I really enjoyed issue #39. Pity that Hobo D has had to go, I enjoyed his thoughts and maybe he can return as Boomer D!! It will not be an easy job to convince people that learning to solder and build loco kits is a good idea. In the UK we are starting to get some RTR models now and folks are happy to buy these rather than build kits, one problem being that many etched kits are terrible!! It might be a good idea to have a series on scratchbuilding a small Porter, that even a total beginner could have a bash 32 O Scale Trains - Sept/Oct 08

33 Introducing Turntables from Ross Custom Switches! Our new turntables are ready. After two years of development and testing RCS proudly introduces our new line of turntables. Product# Description Price Manually Indexing Turntable (line up tracks by eye) TUTA18M 18 Turntable with manually indexing motor $ TUTA24M 24 Turntable with manually indexing motor $ TUTA27M 27 Turntable with manually indexing motor $ TUTA33M 33 Turntable with manually indexing motor $ Automatic Indexing Turntable TUTA18A 18 Turntable with Automatic indexing motor $ TUTA24A 24 Turntable with Automatic indexing motor $ TUTA27A 27 Turntable with Automatic indexing motor $ TUTA33A 33 Turntable with Automatic indexing motor $ Shipping on these items are as follows: 18 and 24 turntables: $ and 33 turntables: $125 Precision made using a CNC cut 3/4 cabinet grade, no-warp, 13 ply baltic birch frame and pit, 7 ball and roller thrust bearings, 1 ground center shaft, CNC cut 18 drive gear, mated to an automotive type, nostretch, timing belt for perfect grip all the time. Stepper motor with electronic controls and power supply for automatic indexing with speed (rpm) set by you, or heavy duty gear reduction motor with manual and infinite low speed control and power supply. Full bridge with detail will accept many types of two and three rail track. Track spacing at 7.5 or 15 degrees. Pre-wired with an industrial turntable track power connector and will transmit remote train controller commands of various manufacture. A square hole 6 larger than the bridge length is required. Motor drive hangs down appx Below table. Don't forget our line of auto indexing transfer tables as well! See for full details on all our products. Sept/Oct 08 - O Scale Trains 33

34 Lounge - Café Car 323 is an extra fare trailer car featuring plush lounge chairs and limited menu dining such as cold sandwiches, on Gerald Brothers Rapid City, Black Hills & Western. The car is made from plastic castings from East Gary Car Company with Q- Car trucks and body details. In the left side of the close-up, you can see the window where the food is dispensed and some of the dining tables and chairs from Keil-Line. Today s transfer from Penn Central s Meadows yard was particularly heavy and necessitated the use of 2 SD35 s. The PC crew has come down from their power discuss the next move with EL s Croxton Yard crew. The transfer from the B&O included 2 gondolas of treated pilings from the sunny south. The Croxton yard crew prepares them for a run down to the Hoboken waterfront where they will be used for a wharf repair project. Both photos are from Don Smith s layout. 34 O Scale Trains - Sept/Oct 08

35 Here are two shots from John Houlihan s excellent traction scene. See the Centerspread and caption for more details. This Executive Car was built by Jean Deschennes for our Traction columnist Roger C. Parker. The car is based on a LaBelle kit. Note the oversized rear windows for inspection trips, guests, and prospective shippers to view the property. The Cape Ann Electric is the line that never was that ran from an independent subway station under Haymarket Square in Boston and extended to Beverly, Mass., where one line went to Ipswich, Mass., and another line extended to Rockport. This is a longestablished Boston & Maine route that Roger always felt should have been electrified. He was always intrigued by the double-track junction at Beverly. Photos by Gene Paltrineri. Sept/Oct 08 - O Scale Trains 35

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38 2008 Convention Highlights Contest Winners First Place Diesels: Jim Stevenson s D&H RS3. First Place Freight: Jack Tracy s PRR Caboose with full interior. Other Awards Not Shown: First Place Steam: Joe Giannovario, N&W G First Place Traction: Gary Cliborn, powered Corgi Birney. First Place Passenger: Gary Cliborn, UP 5 bdr Club car. First Place Non-Revenue: Jack Tracy s PRR Tool car. First Place Structures: Rameesh Bishop s Civil War diorama. 38 O Scale Trains - Sept/Oct 08

39 2008 O Scale Hall of Fame Inductees Lou Cross Right-O -Way track products Dave Waddington Trolley parts manufacturer Joe Giannovario Publisher, O Scale Trains Magazine The Southern New England Model Rr Club hosted the 2008 convention. This is a scene from the SNEMRRC s modular layout. This fuel facility is based on an expanded Walthers Phoenix Fuel kit. The scene was built by Phil Ginkus. The East Penn Traction Club had their modular layout at the convention. In all, there were nine modular layouts on display. This scene is from the Narragansett Bay Railway & Navigation Co. modular layout. It s On30 and features many interesting scenes based on narrow gauge railroads that ran on Martha s Vineyard, Nantuckett, and the standard gauge Providence, Warren & Bristol. The group is based in Rhode Island. Sept/Oct 08 - O Scale Trains 39

40 Sumpter Valley Depot 135 NW Greeley Avenue, Bend OR 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 trainman@callatg.com Tel: 541/ Fax:541/ Hours: Mon. thru Fri 8:30 AM - 5PM and sometimes on Saturdays 40 O Scale Trains - Sept/Oct 08 VALLEY MODEL TRAINS PO BOX 1251, Wappingers Falls, N.Y Credit Card Orders Welcome Order/Info(845) Fax(845) 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" Tower House O.. 10" x 7" x 12" 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" 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 Bar Mills Models O.. Laser Wood Kits with details Saulena's Tavern O /4" x 11" net Majestic Hardwar & Feed O 9 x 12 net 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 K4503 Fall Creek Freight Depot O......net 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 Electric Winch / Car Puller O Johnny Stechino's & Big Ed's O 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) 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..New U23B; RSD15, GP-15, RS-3..$179-$199 RS-1..GMRR, NYC, G&W, WT, CNJ, NYSW..$299-$404 F-3's..DLW, RG, SF, SOU, GMO..$399P, 189D C424/425/628..L&N, CN, EL, PRR, ACL..$299-$415 SD-40's, GP-60's, GP-9's..$379-$419P, $189-$215D SW's..RR, LV, Rdg, CNJ, NYC, Erie..$249-$ 's..PRR, CNJ, RI, B&O, UP, unlettered..$499-$565 MTH..PRR K-4, CNJ P-47..$599. SD-70 or SD-45T..$409 Brass..C&O Greenbrier, SP MT-4..$995 PRR O-1 electric single unit..$449. GE 44t..$299 Williams and Weaver steamers...call Weaver..RSD-12, U25B, VO1000..$199-$249 Shaft drive RS-3's, FA/FB's, GP-38...$99-$150 Passenger and Head End Golden Gate..Head end 3 car sets..$359 Sleepers..SP, SF, PRR, Pullman, Erie, DLW..$99-$110 Coachs..Erie, Rdg, B&O, RG, C&O..PRR..$99-$110 80' Alum streamilners..sf, NYC..6 pk/$529, 2 pk/$249 Atlas..Horizon cars..amtk, NJT, MNCR, more.. $83 Weaver..60' Baggage..$60-$80. RPO..$65-$85 PRR, NYC, NH, Erie, B&M, SF, CNJ, CN, N&W, others Box Cars - 2 rail Pecos River..SF, WAB, NYC, T&P, NKP, SP..$35-$45 Atlas..40' Wood..20+ roads, old and new..$45-$55 40' Steel..Erie, NH, PRR, NYC, CNW, GN, more..$50-$55 40' Trainman or 1970's refurbushed..15 roads..$32-$37 X-29's..PRR, MEC, Erie, RDG, CNJ, more..$55-$62 HyCubes..60'..SF, WP, SP, MP, NW, CR..$60-$75 50'..MILW, NYC, DSSA, RI, L&N..20+ roads..$50-$60 53'..Evans..$35-$50 50' Modern..Rbox, CSX, more..$37 60'..C&O, MKT, B&O, EL, RG, Sou, NW, WM..$45-$55 Weaver..40', 50', steelside..30+ roads.. $25-$40 Refrigerator Cars - 2 rail Weaver/Crown..Old and New, 25+ roads..$25-$40 57' Mech..PFE, BN, WFE, Trop..10+ roads..$35-$55 Atlas..36' & 40' wood..erie, NYC, CNW, SF, PFE, Meats, beers, foods..25+ billboards..$50-$79 40' steel..ic, NYC, ART, DLW, PFE, NP, more..$50-$55 40' plug door..nh, PRR, WM, WP, BAR, REA FGE, CNJ, NP, ATSF, NYC, SSW, ART, more..$32-$37 53' express..rea, WP, MP, SOO, RG..$69 K-line..PFE, MDT, CNW, 15+ billboards..$35-$45 Covered Hoppers - 2 rail Weaver PS-2 and AC-2..Old and New..$25-$40 50' Centerflow or Grain..Old and New..$25-$40 Atlas..3 bay..up, CBQ, BN, Jack Frost..$37 ACF..Erie, DLW, GN, SP, WM, UP, SF, SSW..$55 Airslide..LV, D&H, UP, SP, LV, Erie, SF, RG..$45-$55 Hopper Cars - 2 rail Atlas..3 bay..wm, SOU, BN, NH, Rdg, RG..$37 Ore cars..cn, UP, DMIR..$30; H21a..PRR..$50-$60 New Panel side..$55 USRA 2 bay..$47-$52 Weaver..2 bay, 3 bay, and 4 bay..20+ roads..$25-$40 Tank Cars - 2 rail Weaver...40' & 50', new & old, 20+ roads...$30-$45 Atlas..33K..CNTX, ACFX, GLNX,, Sub Propane..$50 17K..ACF 50' or Trinity 40' corn syrup..$55-$65 8K..Staley, Wolfs, Bakelite, Dow..10 roads..$50-$55 11K..SHPX, UTLX, Hooker, Solvay..10 roads..$50-$55 Flat Cars, Stock Cars Atlas..Double stacks..$125-$169. Front runners..$47 Containers..40/45'..$25. Wvr 20'..$14/pr K-line..$10 40' Stock cars..cnw, RG, B&O, GN, MKT, more..$37 Wvr 40' & 50' flats..$25-$40. Atlas 52' flats..$37 Gondolas - 2 rail Atlas..40' composite..prr, NYC, C&O, SP..$55 50'..B&O, CNJ, GN, NW, NYC, PRR, Rdg, UP, LV..$37 Wvr..CNJ, C&O, LV, RI, SF, UP, Rdg, NW, SOU..$25 Cabeese - 2 rail, 3 rail scale Wvr..CR, Rdg, D&H, Erie, PRR, Monon, more..$$25-$47 K-line..PRR, 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 Atlas Track..40" flex $10. Switches..$45-$50 Atlas Signals..Target, PRR, Type G..$55-$60 us at pdtrains@earthlink.net PO Box 1035 Drexel Hill, PA PO Box 2637 Paso Robles, CA or

41 A BOXCAR-TO-CABOOSE CONVERSION Charlie Morrill During the steam era, many railroads had occasion to convert some of their obsolete boxcars into cabooses. Most of the railroads included such common caboose paraphernalia as cupolas or bay windows and end platforms, which made for a very caboose looking car. However, the Southern Pacific railroad chose not to do this with their version. The SP s cars left no doubt as to the car s origin with the boxcar doors and even the capacity and dimensional data often still in place. Many of the SP s conversions also kept the original freight car trucks with coil springs instead of leaf springs. The SP converted over 100 double sheathed boxcars with steel under frames in the late 1920s through the early 1940s. These cabooses served on locals and helper districts almost to the end of steam on the SP. Photos and other information on these cars are included in the book SP Freight Cars, Vol. 2 Cabooses by Anthony Thompson, Signature Press. At present, an O Scale model of the boxcar class the SP used for these conversions will be mostly a scratchbuilt project. On the other hand, the San Juan Car Co. styrene kit for the Sacramento Northern wooden end boxcar appears to be a good candidate for an easy kitbash, which, though freelance, follows the SP s practice. Good friend, Carl Robart, is building a freelance model railroad he calls the Cascade Northern Railway (OST, issue #24). I m too far away to help with the layout construction, but maybe a piece of rolling stock for the CNR will do. Underframe The frame and floor assembly (Photo 1) follows the San Juan Car Co. instructions (steps 1 through 4 in the kit). To make sure the floor stayed flat, I clamped it upside down to a flat surface while attaching the center and side sills and other 1 frame members. The assembly was kept clamped down overnight to make sure the styrene glue joints were fully cured before releasing it. The long steps under the side doors are made from styrene strips. The two styrene support straps for the step are reinforced with 1/16 by 1/64 brass straps secured with epoxy on the back side. I also changed the K brake assembly to have the cylinder and reservoir together. Because I wanted to have lighted markers, metal trucks were a necessary replacement for the San Juan plastic trucks. These cast brass archbar caboose trucks of unknown manufacture came from my junk box. The truck bolsters were tapped for 0-80 brass screws to connect the wires to a voltage regulator circuit. I also replaced the original wheelsets in these trucks with some better looking wheels from North West Short Line with axle ends that matched the original wheelsets. Body Bashing Step 8 in the San Juan kit instructions begins the car body assembly. It is easiest to make all the alterations to the side and end castings, hole drilling, and as much of the door and fittings assembly as possible before gluing the body together. Figures 1 and 2 (page 36) show where the window and door openings are cut. The dimensions for the window openings were made to fit the Grandt Line caboose window castings. I copied the existing grabiron spacing for the grabs next to the side door going to the car roof (Figure 1). There are also additional grabirons on the ends for the brakeman to use when hanging the marker lamps and grabs on each side of the end door (Figure 2). I decided to substitute diameter wire for the kit s wire to gain the extra strength. A #76 drill was used to enlarge the existing holes as well as drill for the added grabs. After completing the drilling of all the grabiron holes, the boxcar doors, window frames, caboose doors and door framing were glued in place. Evergreen car siding was used for the doors and the space above the side doors. Note in Photo 2 (page 36) that the doors are inset from the outer siding about the thickness of a double sheathed car side. In this kit, the floor casting has floorboards extending over the bottom of the boxcar door opening in the side. I preserved this feature when installing the doors in order to lock the body to the floor and still permit easy removal for installing the window glass and wiring after painting. This worked well enough that it was not necessary to add screws to hold the body to the floor. The grabirons were formed using the bending jig included in the kit and secured with CA. A very small dab of epoxy was Sept/Oct 08 - O Scale Trains 41

42 2 used to simulate the mounting bolts on the added grabirons. I did not have any Grandt Line or Tichy nut/bolt/washer castings small enough to match the San Juan cast-on fittings. The hole for the stove s smoke stack was drilled in the roof casting prior to attaching it to the body assembly. The ends of the carlines were clamped to the underside of the roof casting and the glue joints were allowed to cure before unclamping to make sure the roof pitch would later match the ends exactly. After completion of the roof subassembly, the sides and ends were fitted onto the floor and glued to each other, but not to the floor. I then glued the roof to the sides. Attaching the kit s corner braces and some pieces of styrene angle for the marker brackets finished this assembly. I found (too late) that it is better to glue the smoke stack onto the roof after all of the assembly is finished. 42 O Scale Trains - Sept/Oct 08 Before starting Step 9 (the car body s final assembly), I made two copies of the lateral roofwalks from styrene strips matching the dimensions of the kit s castings. One of the castings was used as a drilling guide to locate the grabirons. These extra lateral roofwalks go above the row of grab irons next to the side doors. I wanted to use a brass brake wheel soldered to brass rod instead of the plastic assembly furnished in the kit. There was a problem here though. The top of the brake staff is in the ratchet casting on the roof. The bottom of the brake staff is in the bracket and brake chain assembly attached to the bottom of the end sill. Normal construction for a freight car, but I wanted to have the body removable to have access to the interior. This meant the hand brake had to be removable from the car s floor assembly. I solved this issue by making the brake staff in two sections and 3 using a short piece of diameter brass tubing at the end sill to connect the two sections (see Photo 3 of the car end).

43 4 5 Photo 4 shows the car just prior to painting and illustrates the major modifications. The window glass, markers, and voltage regulator circuit for the marker lights will be added after painting. I chose not to put an interior in this model because of the very limited view inside with only two windows per side. Finishing The completed car only weighs about seven ounces, including the metal trucks and couplers. I secured sufficient weights to the floor on the inside to bring the overall weight up to about 12 ounces. The model was then airbrushed with Floquil paints. The chimney colors and grab safety colors were applied with Poly Scale paint. After painting, the lighted markers and the window glass were installed. To provide a good surface for decals, a thinned coating of Microscale Micro Satin was brushed over the portions of the sides and ends where lettering would be applied and blended with the rest of the model. The boxcar caboose model is an acceptable representation of a temporary caboose with just the reporting marks lettering, but I wanted to try my hand at making a herald decal. Carl had a pencil design of a herald for his railroad that I had downloaded as a JPEG. Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.0, was used to clean up the drawing and convert it into the emblem shown in the lead photo and Photo 5. The actual decals were made by printing black on Micro-Mark s white decal paper for inkjet printers. Micro-Mark s decal kit instructions were fol- lowed for printing and sealing the decals. A couple very light coats of the spray fixative on the decal worked best. Heavier coats caused the edges of the decal to curl up when wet and interfered with the decal setting solution (I used Micro Set and Micro Sol). A final light coat of the thinned Micro Satin and a little weathering with an alcohol/india ink mixture completed the model. u List of Parts Used San Juan Car Co.: SN Boxcar kit #122 Grandt Line: stove pipe #143, brass brake wheel #1088 Trackside Specialties: Adlake markers #40230 Evergreen Scale Models: styrene car siding #4067 and assorted styrene strips Detail Associates: dia. brass wire #2506 Miniatronics Corp.: 1.5 volt lamps # Micro-Mark: Decal Try-It pack #82859 Misc.: Cast brass caboose trucks, NWSL 33 wheelsets, Microscope slide glass, Voltage regulator circuit reference from OST #13, p.36 for parts and schematic, cast lead fishing weights. All Work and No Play makes a layout boring. Realistic Figures Bring Your Layout to Life Send $1.50 for our full color catalog featuring the over 400 PEWTER Figures AND Accessories we produce in O Gauge All Made and Hand Painted in the USA with Pride. $8.95 S&H per order. VISA & MC orders call For Information: FAX orders: Celebrating 20 Years of Producing High Quality American Made Figures! Painted / Unptd 1484 Soap box racer... _9.99 / 5.75_ 1485 Soap box racer #2... _9.99 / 5.75_ 1486 Scooter... _9.99 / 5.75_ 1487 Young man to ride scooter _5.99 / 3.75_ 1488 Woman as passenger... _5.99 / 3.75_ 1489 Dirt Bike... _9.99 / 6.50_ 1490 Man to ride Dirt Bike... _5.99 / 3.75_ 1491 ATV (muddy)... _23.99/12.99_ 1492 Man to ride ATV... _5.99 / 3.75_ 1493 Pedal Boat... _12.99/ 8.99_ 1494 Young lovers for pedal boat _12.50 /7.50_ 1495 Two kids for pedal boat... _12.50 /7.50_ 1496 Kayak with man... _14.50/10.50_ People make the difference Visit us at for color photos 105 Woodring Lane Newark DE Sept/Oct 08 - O Scale Trains 43

44 Have It (Sounds) Your Way! There is a QSI Sound Module for Every O Scaler. Choose One That s Right For You! Conventional DC Power Pack + Quantum Module = Horn/Bell/Motor Loco Sounds Conventional DC and Quantum Engineer Power Pack + Quantum Module + Quantum Engineer = 33 Controllable Loco & Sound Ops DCC: All Major Systems DCC Systems + Quantum Module = 33 Controllable Loco & Sound Ops Conventional AC: O Gauge 3 Rail Power Pack + Quantum Module = Horn/Bell/ Motor Loco Sounds AC Command Control: TMCC, DCS, 3 Rail Command System + Quantum Module = 33 Controllable Loco/Sound Ops (DC Control) Quantum Engineer QSI Solutions Please contact us for more information about all these new exciting sound options! Introductory offer $ list. Distributed Exclusively by QSI Solutions QSI Solutions c/o American Hobby Distributors, 57 River Road, Suite 1023, Essex Junction, VT Toll-free (800) Fax info@qsisolutions.com Copyright 2007 by QSI Solutions. All Rights Reserved. 44 O Scale Trains - Sept/Oct 08

45 Ideas for Creating New Industries On my Bay Ridge Harbor Railroad I am always thinking of ways to increase the traffic flow during an operational session. This article is the first in a series about industries I will describe here and in future issues. They will not be piece-bypiece how-to articles, but rather ideas to hopefully encourage readers to have a go at scratchbuilding simple structures for operation on their own railroads. First up is a Biscuit Factory complex which consists of the following structures: 1 Main Factory building. 2 Flour unloading facility. 3 Powerhouse. 4 Powerhouse Smokestack. The freight cars used are the following: Boxcars for delivering packaging, and for shipments of the finished products; covered hoppers for flour deliveries, plus open hoppers for coal deliveries. Flour Unloading Facility This simple structure is the first building to be described. I have chosen this structure first as it is likely that it could be fitted into already established industries on readers layouts. Photos 1 and 2 show the basic building. One sixteenth-inch thick (2 mm) styrene was used for the walls and roof with a poured plaster floor (Photos 3 and 4) with discharge pits between the tracks. The dimensions are as follows: 10-1/2 inches long by 5 inches wide by 5 inches high, sloping down to 4-1/2 inches high. The corrugated iron is English Wills brand HO asbestos sheeting which will give a realistic representation of O Scale corrugated iron. The compressor shed was scratchbuilt and the tank is a German Faller brand HO Item shortened to suit (Photo 5). Th facility is painted a primer grey color weathered with Floquil Rust. The inside is weathered with white paint to represent spilled flour. The facility took two enjoyable evenings to build. I hope to show the rest of the Biscuit factory complex in future issues. u Sept/Oct 08 - O Scale Trains 45

46 Buy Sell Trade Jim Hackworth MODEL TRAINS (and Subsidiary JH Consulting) 2631 Edgevale Road, Columbus OH Phone: Fax: Web: Consignments AOCC* Gem PRR B , C/P or N/P, OB... $ WSM PRR J1a, , C/P, OB...$1, WSM PRR M1, 4-8-2, C/P, Nice, OB...$1, Weaver Brass WP GS , F/P, LN, OB.... $ USH C&O 2-8-4, C/P, Runs good, OB....$1, USH PRR M1a, 4-8-2, C/P, OB...$1, USH PRR L1s, 2-8-2, N/P, New, Never assembled...$1, MG NYC J3a, C/P, NOB, from Tony Ambrose... $1, OM N&W Y , N/P OB...$1, USH NYC S1b C/P, OB...$1, MG PRR J , C/P, Icken gearsm NOB...$1, USH NYC H10, 2-8-2, Mint, N/P, OB...$1, USH NKP S-2, C/P, OB...$1, Gem PRR A , C/P, NOB... $ OM SD40-2, C/P, OB.... $ OM SD70M Demo, F/P, LN, OB...$1, OM N&W C630 High Hood FM trucks, New OB...$1, OM SD70M Demo, F/P, LN, OB...$1, *All Offers Cordially Considered AOCC* Joe Fischer(??) PRR R50b Express Reefer... $ OM PRR PAPB Set, Late Run, F/P, New...$2, PRB 60 Greenville Boxcar, F/P, LN, OB... $ GEM PRR A , Runs good, C/P, OB.... $ OM GT Coil Car, LN, OB.... $ OM ATSF Erie Built B Unit, F/P, New... $ Weaver PRR N5c Caboose, LN, N/P, OB... $ Scale Mod Ind Roundhouse kit.... $ PRB 40 Airslide F/P BN, New, OB... $ PRB 60 Greenville Boxcar F/P GT New.... $ OM 89 TTX flat, C/P TTX Yellow, LN, OB.... $ OM #0026 Tri-Level Auto Rack, C/P C&NW, OB, LN... $ PRB Sealand Gunderson D. Stack, set, LN, OB...$1, PRB 62 Boxcar, F/P WP, LN OB... $ PRB BN Gunderson D. Stack, set, LN, OB...$1, MG PRR N8 Caboose, N/P, NOB.... $ Alco PRR N6a, C/P or N/P, each... $ Layaway Available 46 O Scale Trains - Sept/Oct 08 LSASE for Complete List Shipping 6% - $6.95 Min., $15.00 Max Ohio Residents Add 6.75% Sales Tax Estates Liquidations Collection Reductions

47 Deichman s Depot ATLAS O Scale 2-Rail WM SD-40 Cab #7445 DC/DCC $ Conrail Saving Bond SD-40 DC/DCC D&H RS-3 Cab # Reading RS-3 Cab # WM Fishbelly Hopper PC (MOW) H21a Hopper Virginian H21a Hopper PRR H21a Hopper (Black) Pitts. & Lake Erie NE-6 Caboose RF&P EV Caboose Chessie EV Caboose Bend Mill Works 53' Evans Box Roscoe, Snyder & Pacific USRA Box WM 40' Airslide Hopper Cargill 17,600K Tank Car NH 50' PS-1 Box Car B&O 50' PS-1 Box Car Schmidt's 50' PS-1 Box Car NYC 40' USRA Gondola Santa Fe 40' Steel Reefer Merchant Biscuit 40' Wood Reefer LaCrosse Breweries 40' Wood Reefer Deichman s Depot 110 Ivyside Dr, York PA Ph: Fax: deichmansdepot@comcast.net Etched brass numbers SP-style, MSRP: $15. More brass numbers coming soon! Field parts for your interlocking tower: pipe carriers, crank stands and cranks. Visit our web site for details. The Irish Tracklayer 2682 W. Palo Alto Ave Fresno CA Craftsman Grade Products & Services Repairs - Sales - Installations DCC Equipment & Decoders Sound Couplers Figures Building Kits Tools Wood Styrene Lubes Glues Berea, OH 10/4-5 Timonium, MD 10/11-12 New Paltz, NY 10/17-18 Syracuse, NY 11/1-2 Allentown, PA 11/8-9 Mansfield, MA 11/13-15 Call or for further information Orders can be delivered to all show locations Credit Cards Mail Orders Gift Certificates Standard & Narrow Gauges C r u s a d e r R A I L S E R V I C E S 5920 Houghton St., Phila. Pa crusaderrail@verizon.net FOR THE TOUGHEST JOBS ON PLANET EARTH Gorilla Glue Company SF6HD2 NEW from the SILFLOR Studios, Buffalo Grass Tufts... These new tufts have young seasonal tone grasses growing at the base with last years longer dead and dry growth sprouting from the center. Tufts are mounted on an invisible base using the secret SILFLOR process that causes the tuft to stand up and feather outward. Tufts may be placed individually or peeled off in random clusters. Set includes two sizes: 2-4mm medium and 4-6½mm tall. Each 6 x 9 sheet contains over a hundred tufts. All colors are compatible with our regular SILFLOR mats. The Tall Shaft Dead grass shafts from the previous years growth. New Growth Fresh grass blades sprouting from the tuft base. Spring Green Buffalo Grass Spring tone base tuft with beige tone dry grass shaft. Short and medium tuft set. MN $24.99 Summer Green Buffalo Grass Rich deep Summer tone base tuft with burnt green tone dry grass shaft. MN $24.99 Late Summer Buffalo Grass Burnt green tone base tuft with tan tone dry grass shaft. MN $24.99 Autumn Tone Buffalo Grass Deep sienna tone base tuft with tan tone dry grass shaft. MN $ Sheffield Drive #100, Delmont, PA Order: (724) FAX: (724) Visit our Web Site: Please add $8.49 Shipping. PA res add 6% tax. Sept/Oct 08 - O Scale Trains 47

48 M ullet River odel Works 118 Huson Ct. Plymouth, WI Phone Highly Detailed 1:48/O-Gauge Scale Die-Cast Metal Replica O Scale Caboose Models > Laser cut plywood body with working windows > Full interior with roof ribs and purlins > Separate doors can be modeled in the open position > Working windows > Etched brass underframes See your dealer or our web site for more photos BUCYRUS STEAM SHOVEL Available NOW! Overall Dimensions: 16 L x 5.25 W x 8 H 1/48 scale/o-gauge All metal construction Removable house Removable mast strap and smokestack Gear driven pistons Hinged coal door and platform Detailed interior including nickel-plated boiler and piping Over 3 pounds Static display only $300 plus $8 S&H per unit Read review: By permission of Bucyrus International, Inc., all rights reserved. EXCLUSIVE PIECES Dimensions: 8.75 L x 2.75 W x 2.5 H Die-cast Metal - Weighs over 1 lb. Accurate 1/50 scale Authentic era paint color and decoration Full color custom closed gift carton $80 plus $8 S&H per unit Official 2007 Construction Model ALLIS-CHALMERS TS-300 MOTOR SCRAPER EXCLUSIVE! LIMITED ONE TIME OFFER No other versions to be produced from this tooling! SOO Line Caboose with single window cupola $ SOO Line Caboose with two side window cupola $ DSS&A Caboose $ C&NW Caboose with no end windows $ C&NW Caboose with end windows $ C&NW Caboose with all wood underframe $ Big Four Caboose $ Milwaukee Road Caboose with tall cupola $ CB&Q 28' Caboose $ CB&Q 30' Caboose $ SOO Line 34' Caboose $ Central of Georgia Caboose with tong and groove side $ Yosemite Valley Caboose $ Central of Georgia Caboose with plywood side $ Colorado & Southern Caboose standard gage $ C&NW Bay Window Caboose tong and groove side $ C&O-Pere Marquette Caboose $ New Southern Pacific C-30-1 Caboose $ New Southern Pacific CS-15 Caboose $ New Grand Trunk Western Caboose $ New New York Central Caboose $ New Boston & Albany Caboose $ Available NOW! Available NOW! Prototype shown. Dimensions: 6 1/8 L x 3 W x 2 1/2 H Accurate 1/50 scale Authentic Appearance Soft Vinyl Tires Detailed Diesel Engine Cab with Detailed Interior Authentic Paint Color and Decoration Official 2008 Construction Model ALLIS-CHALMERS FORTY-FIVE MOTOR GRADER EXCLUSIVE! LIMITED ONE TIME OFFER No other versions to be produced from this tooling! Full Color Custom Retail Carton Limited Edition-Highly Collectible $80 plus $8 S&H per unit Call: Toy Trucker & Contractor for credit card orders Order online: Send check or money order to: Toy Trucker & Contractor Ave. SE LaMoure ND O Scale Trains - Sept/Oct 08

49 So few people work with brass and solder these days that it is very difficult to find a teacher. I believe that an article on soldering is the first step to working with brass. Personally, I firmly believe that building a kit is the best way to learn the basic techniques, but there are few brass kits made in the USA these days. Pictured in Photo 1 are two which I have 1 An Introduction to Soldering William Kendall these are not needed right away. I am exaggerating a bit here, but in reality your tool box will grow as you gain experience. Watch out for Chinese drill bits, they are cheap but dull 3 been working on: Precision Scale s doodlebug in On3, and a beginners from England. The British do marvelous kits in etched brass. The only problem is that very few are of US prototypes. A few of their kits can be readily Americanized, and if you have one of those pretty SMR Generals there are many short wagons which go with that era. 2 quickly and break easily. Buy American. Soldering became much easier for me once I discovered Carr s products (Photo 3). Carr s sells solders ranging in melting temperatures from 70 degrees through 243 degrees Centigrade. Prior to this, with only 50/50 or 60/40 solder, the use of heat sinks was necessary and a bit complicated to do, but if you did not want part A to fall off when you were applying part B you had to have heat sinks between them. This was frequently a Kleenex tissue soaked in water, an ice cube, or metal tweezers applied to the area which you wished to keep cool. I still use them occasionally, but Carr s allows you to start with 243, go down to 224, 188, 160, 70 and thus not have the first bits fall off as you solder on the later bits. Some of the soldering supply houses will sell you various temperature solders, but you can get Carr s in the small quantities which modelers use. The packets are available from International Hobbies in Auburn, California, or direct from C&L Fine Scale (the manufacturer) in England (look on the web). International Hobbies also supplies some etched brass kits. The etched brass kit in Photo 4 is for a circa 1900 US hopper car. 4 You will need a soldering iron (40 to 50 watts is okay to start with) and a handheld torch (Photo 2). A torch will rapidly heat up fairly large pieces of brass, whereas the iron is better for attaching smaller pieces. I have seen Harry Heike do marvelous things with a torch at an O Scale National workshop. He is a professional, but you will soon be able to do accomplished soldering work even if you do not have the same finesse. Honestly, perhaps after five small projects you will feel and be very competent. It is just not that hard if you follow the rules. Besides the above items, you probably have a decent set of tools already. Hobo D. HiRailer set out a fine list in issue #34, (Sept/Oct 07). Micro-Mark (the tool supply company which is mentioned in the article) will also provide soldering irons and torches. You will also need a good set of needle files, excess solder removing tools, broaches, reamers, etc. but most of Soldering actually does make a molecular bond between the joined metals. It is quite strong when done properly. So how do you do it properly? The old saw, practice makes perfect applies. But you can begin by following a few rules. The first rule is cleanliness. The metal must be clean, clean, and clean. Wash the parts in plain soap and water to make Sept/Oct 08 - O Scale Trains 49

50 sure no grease, fingerprints, or other contaminants are on the surface before you even begin. Some people use various types of sandpaper but I prefer the fiberglass scratch brush for my final cleaning just before soldering. The second rule is do not skimp on flux. Flux is applied after the final cleaning and prior to the application of the solder. For me, a Q-tip applicator is very useful. Most metal to metal fluxes are acidic. Keep them away from steel wheels or you will have very rusty steel wheels. And, of course be careful around your person. Flux is marvelous stuff, and you can, for practice, lay a path of flux and then watch solder flow right along it. There are several types made especially for different purposes. The one thing to remember is that after you have finished a section wash it off with soap and water. Really, each evening when you finish for the day the last thing you do should be to rinse off the project. If flux is left in the crevices it will eventually seep out and ruin your paint job. So when soldering, continue to keep the project clean. The third rule is, apply proper heat to the metals first and let the solder flow onto them. (Obviously, there are some exceptions to this rule.) Do not heat the solder only. That is the recipe for a failed, dry joint. A soldering gun is fine for soldering wires, but not for brass work. Save it and the rosin flux for wire work, but use acid flux and a torch or iron for metal. Remember, you are transferring heat to the metal and so (up to a point) bigger is better. The tip should be as wide as possible, but not so wide as to interfere with your work. You start with a tinned iron. That means the tip of the iron is already covered in solder. You must keep the tip tinned. (Oops, this is another rule.) Otherwise it will get pitted very rapidly and then become useless. With a new tip, before you even heat it up dip it into a jar of solder paste (another form of solder), or some of the solder containing tip cleaners. As it heats up the flux in the paste will prevent oxidation until the solder has flowed over and thus nicely tinned the tip. Also, once tinned the heat flows much more rapidly from the tip to the item. Putting solder on parts before actually soldering them together is called tinning or pre-tinning them. In many situations, especially with small parts, this makes the work easier. Sweating parts together is another example of useful pre-tinning. To double the thickness of two large pieces, if you just go around the edge the joint won t be very strong, so you tin both sides, clamp them together, and play your torch over the assembly until the solder flows. To get started, try soldering a brass wire to a piece of sheet brass. Apply the tip to the wire, and touch the solder stick or coil to the area; almost immediately the solder will flow onto the wire, the wire is now pre-tinned. First lesson: Do not hold the wire with your bare fingers. Solder and metal get very hot and will burn you good. Gloves, wood clothes pins, clamps etc. are a necessity in holding pieces to be soldered. Hold the wire against the metal. Flux both. Apply the iron to the metal next to the wire and wait for the solder to flow. Once it flows, remove the iron and let the joint cool. If you apply the iron to the wire instead of to the big piece of metal, you will probably get a cold or dry joint. The solder will flow from the wire and form a puddle on the metal which will look like a good joint, but is not. In reality, since the metal never got hot enough there is not a good molecular bond. If you wiggle the wire it will probably pop right off. With a proper joint, the wire will bend before it comes loose. Remember, if you do not like your solder joint, just reheat and do it over again. That is another joy of solder: it is easy to start over. A little practice will give you the confidence to tackle tougher jobs; so practice. Fundamentally those are the basics. If you wish to begin, check out the etched kits at Tower Models (ask for beginners kits). Blackpool in the UK, or International Hobbies in California. Both are on the web, as are several other British dealers. After you have built a couple of simple kits, and if you desire to try a locomotive, I highly recommend that you contact Jim Megowen at Connoisseur kits to obtain one of his beginners locos. Good luck, and display your solder burns with pride. u CLOSE OUT! Pecos River Brass Cement Plant 66 imported only 8 left! Original retail: $2250 Close $750 plus shipping. Contact: john@pecosriverbrass.com 50 O Scale Trains - Sept/Oct 08

51 Left: Matthew Bushong started with an Atlas O undecorated double-sheathed box car and customdecaled for his Brisbane and Bushong Railroad. Right: Bill Nesbitt sent this photo from his layout. The CNJ car is a reworked All Nation kit and the ATSF box is painted and lettered using Champ decals. The Hanson Storage warehouse in back is scratchbuilt based on a Model Railroader article back in the 1990s. TWIN WHISTLE SIGN & KIT CO. Buy Direct! 31 Turnberry Drive, Arden, NC (828) Footprint: 10 x 4.5 Buy Directly from our e-store! ASSEMBLED BUILDINGS ARE AVAILABLE! The Classic! Kit: $54.95 Pre-Cut Basswood Body Complete Instructions Assorted Castings Wide Selection of Graphics Grandt Lines Doors & Windows Scribed Interior Flooring twinwhistle@hotmail.com Sept/Oct 08 - O Scale Trains 51

52 NEWS: O Scale Track Cleaning Car; MSRP: $234.95, Free O Scale boxes. Aztec Mfg. Co., 2701 Conestoga Dr., #113, Carson City NV Aztec Manufacturing has announced the Typhoon track cleaning car for O Scale in both 2 and 3-Rail versions. The car is a reworked Weaver 2-bay hopper with a fluid reservoir, a magnet and two canvas covered rollers. The first roller scrubs the rails while the second does cleanup. The magnet removes any magnetic metal debris. Shipping is free on orders over $99 within the U.S. Shipping to Canada is $8 and all others add $13. Nevada residents need to add 7.125% sales tax. Visa and MasterCard are accepted, along with checks and money orders. Aztec is also giving away O Scale boxes in assorted sizes. These scale boxes are printed on card stock which you cut, fold and glue. Send a #10 SASE to receive these boxes. NEWS: Etched Brass Numbers, SP-style; MSRP: $15 The Irish Tracklayer, 2682 W Palo Alto Ave, Fresno CA John Houlihan of The Irish Tracklayer sent along some etched brass numbers based on SP-style markings. The 6 and 9 are different in that the top and bottom margins are unequal. John is making a holder that will allow the numbers to be changed. The numbers can also be used as stencils for freight cars. John has a boatload of interesting cast and etched parts for sale. Visit his website to see offerings and new items. NEWS: Timerline Scenery material in large volumes; MSRP: $9.59 to $ Timberline Scenery has announced new larger containers of their ground cover and forest floor products. Both products are now available in 60 cu. in. shaker bottles, 120 cu. in. junior jugs, and 240 cu. in. super jugs. The ground cover is available in 20 colors and 3 grades, while the forest floor comes in four colors. They sizes are priced as follows: 60 cu. in. shaker, $9.59; 120 cu. in. junior jug, $12.98; 240 cu. in. super jug, $ NEWS: Etched Trackside Details; MSRP: $4.25 Mullett River Model Works, 118 Huson Ct, Plymouth WI Glen Guerra of Mullett River had these beautiful etched brass details for sale at Chicago last March. These are not catalogued on the Mullet River website so you can only get them if you contact Glenn directly or see him at a show. Mullett River makes beautiful laser cut O Scale structures and rolling stock kits with finely etched brass details. Check their website for a listing of what s available. NEWS: Milw. Rd 50 Smoothside Auto boxcar; MSRP: $95.00 Rails Unlimited, 126 Will Scarlet, Elgin IL railsunlimited.ribbonrail.com Ted Schnepf was showing several new urethane kits at the Chicago March Meet. Among them was a Milwaukee Road 50 smoothside automobile boxcar cast in quality urethane from hand-crafted masters. This prototype group of 500 boxcars was made of high tensile welded steel yielding a car weighting only 47,300 pounds. Pressed Steel provided the dreadnaught type ends. The A end had an 18 x 16 lumber door. A Hutchins roof and corrugated doors were used. The trucks were Barber Stabilized style of Bettendorf. These cars were numbered to and classed XA. Latter some cars had Evan Auto Loaders added and were classed XMR. These cars were the pioneer welded, lightweight cars that lead to the development of the ribside boxcars starting in July The ribs strengthened the sides, but also added 1300 pounds in weight. All the Rails Unlimited kits are sold less truck and couplers. The brake gear, ladders, grabs and decals are extra too, although Rails Unlimited can supply all these items at extra charge. Ted is also offering the first fully accurate Milwaukee Road decals. All of the Rails Unlimited urethane bodies are made in the USA. 52 O Scale Trains - Sept/Oct 08

53 SPECIAL REPORT: MRC O Scale Universal Sound Decoder, Diesel # , Steam Sound Decoder # ; MSRP: $99.98 Model Rectifier Corporation, 80 Newfield Avenue, Edison, NJ model rectifier.com The Diesel Decoder Reviewed by Gene Clements The #1818 G/O Scale Universal Sound Decoder is a new release from MRC in its line of decoders suitable for O and G scale diesel locomotives. The unique features of this decoder are its two prime mover sounds: EMD s SD-45 or MP-15 Diesel locomotive. This decoder also comes preprogrammed with 8 types of bells and 34 different types of air horns, which are selectable according to the prototype used on the locomotive that applies to the decoder installation. The decoder also supports DCC headlight effects: Directional/Rule 17/ off-dim-bright cycle, and accessory lighting effects: ditch lights/mars light/ gyro light /strobe light and prime strobe on/off. Compatibility This decoder is compatible with any DCC system, as well as being fully controllable on a DC system by using MRC s BlackBox Control Unit (# ). The unit comes with the necessary two pin plugs and harness for auxiliary lighting and a 40mm (1-1/2 ) round, 4 ohm speaker. The prime mover sound files are unique in the fact they are digital recordings of actual locomotives adapted for the decoder s program. All sounds, including the accessory and locomotive support sounds, can be turned on/off or have the volume regulated according to the operator s preference. In DCC mode, all standard operation and performance tuning according to NMRA DCC standards is available. Performance Rated at 5 amps, this decoder should handle any 2-Rail single or dual motored diesel locomotive currently on the O/G Scale market. To test and evaluate this decoder, I used a Weaver O Scale GP-38 dual vertical motor unit as the test engine. Photo 1 shows the test installation. The decoder was easy to install; all motor and pick-up wiring was attached at the screw terminals of the decoder. I soldered the 12 VDC front and rear headlight bulbs to the headlight harness supplied with the decoder. I did not test any auxiliary lighting. The speaker was installed in the fuel tank, using clear silicone to secure the speaker housing. After a trip to the program track for the long and short address numbers, the unit was placed on the main and put through various scenarios as both a single unit and as a unit in an m.u. consist. The decoder performance was excellent. By Programming on the Main, the prime mover, horn and bell sounds were changed and volume regulated with ease. The only problem I encountered was a vibration in the speaker. This turned out to be my fault and not a problem with the decoder or speaker. Conclusions In my opinion, MRC has what should be a hit in the O Scale marketplace. We now have a full function DCC/DC decoder that supports lighting variables, plus auxiliary lighting options and selectable sound all in a single package at a reasonable cost. The only thing I would ask for, as a consumer, is the release of more prime mover sounds for the various model locomotives currently on the market, other than the # Alco244/ SD-60/ SD-70 and EMD 567B prime mover sounds, also available from MRC. Since testing this decoder, I have removed it from the Weaver GP-38 and re-installed it in a U.S. Hobbies re-motored F-45. It s been a long time since I ve been on an SD or F-45, but the turbo charged whine is correct for these locomotives as well as the high RPM output of the EMD MP-15 sound file. One thing I did that made a major impact was to construct a speaker box 2 inches square by 1/2 deep from styrene. I cut a 1-3/8 hole in one side of the box and attached the speaker with clear silicone. The speaker and box were then mounted to the inside roof of the F-45 with doublesided foam tape. This produced a dramatic change in the sound quality and clarity. Photo 2 shows the completed F-45 installation and the speaker box ready to be installed in the roof. In conclusion, try one; I think you ll be impressed. I plan to try out the MRC # decoder in my MTH SD-60s and Atlas GP-60s soon. Steam Sound Decoder # , Reviewed by Capt. Thomas Mix, USMC Ret. When reading the instruction sheet I was impressed with the possibilities of this decoder, for example, there are 34 (!) whistle types, 8 bell types, 50 bell ring rates, 12 types of chuff sounds, and the list goes on for other sounds like coupling, fire door and rail clack. All of these sounds have a volume control which you can be assured you will need. Set up and Installation The size of the decoder, 1-3/8 wide by 2-3/4 long, requires that it be installed in the tender. I used a piece of styrene sheet to mount the decoder using double sided tape. This sheet can also be used as a central point to fasten the wires coming from the insulated side (black wire) of the locomotive then to the decoder as you can see in the photo (Photo 3). The (continued on page 54) Sept/Oct 08 - O Scale Trains 53

54 continued from page 53 screw securing the sheet to the tender floor doubles as the wire contact (red) for the grounded side and then to the decoder. On each side of the terminal strip are the lighting connectors, one for the headlight and rear light, and the other for accessory lights which are a Mars light and firebox flicker. These are plug in terminals. The instruction sheet clearly shows each point for these connections so it would be pretty hard to make a mistake. The speaker plug in is on the rear. The speaker is just a flat 40 mm diameter but already wired with plug. As Gene mentions, and as pointed out in the instruction sheet, this open speaker will require an enclosure to properly hear those realistic sounds of a live locomotive. If you have a sealed tender with an opening for a speaker I suppose that might work but for me it was easier to use a piece of 1-1/2 vinyl plumbing pipe I had on hand to make a simple enclosure (Photo 4). You can make an enclosure in most any shape: square, round, or whatever, as long as it is sealed. There is a lot of info out there dealing with this particular subject. One odd thing with this speaker is that it is 4 ohm rather than the usual 8 ohm. The I installed this decoder in has a rear tender light in addition to the head light. The lighting plug-in on the decoder board has three contacts, one side is for the rear light, center is the blue common, and other side is for the headlight. MRC furnishes two wired plug connections each with three colored wires, yellow, center blue, and white. The second furnished wired 54 O Scale Trains - Sept/Oct 08 plug connector would be used for the accessory lighting. Photo 5 shows how I wired for the front and rear lights. I did not wire for the accessories at this time but that firebox flicker is too good to not use in the future. The wiring required for operation is not hard to set up but you will need to do some soldering for the connections. The connection between the tender and engine alone will have to have two wires for the motor, two for the headlight, and two for left/right pickups (Photo 6) depending how you have your locomotives set up for track contact. My engines have the loco and tender the same polarity, grounded on the right with wipers on the left tender trucks and a wiper on a left set of drivers. The drawbar is not insulated; it is part of the right side pickup. Operation Now came the interesting part of testing this decoder. The instruction sheet lists 40 CV settings and their values. But what is nice with this decoder is that MRC pre-programmed the settings with default values so that you can fire it up and your locomotive instantly comes to life ready to do its bidding! Chuff, whistle, bell, brake squeal, pop valves, air release, etc., is all ready to go. A NCE Power Pro system is my DCC system. I don t use a programming test track as recommended. I do set the loco with tender attached, tender shell removed, on blocks on the work desk by the layout. I then use clips on the two track contacts. Some preliminary tests are made with the ProCab for motor control and a few sounds to ensure all is well. Then the loco was placed on the track to see just what this new decoder will do. When power is turned on, right away the engine comes alive with pop valves releasing, the air pump thumping, and there is some hissing too. (The generator maybe?) Now, my hearing isn t the best but the first thing I had to do is program down some of the CV values dealing with the volume. It was way too loud for me. Then a trip around the track loop. Starts and stops were gradual and smooth with the big Pittman motor. There are whistle sounds that are really clear and sound like some of the actual whistles I remember as a kid. But there are some that do sound a bit strange. I did not try all 34 sounds. The bell is sharp and clear and also has a couple of odd sounds, but with eight bell tones, you will have a choice of what sound best to you. The 12 types of exhaust chuff included a double chuff enabling feature for an articulated locomotive. Again there are some sounds you may not care for but most of them sound very prototypical. There is one that sounds like it might be for one of those industrial locos that ran on compressed air that were used around factories that manufactured flammable products. There is no provision for a cam operation but the chuff rate is programmable and works just fine. The chuff rate increases/decreases with applied power and as you come to a stop there is a brake squeal and then an air release. When the loco is standing, the air pump thumps on occasion and a pop valve will release now and then. This decoder is programmable with all of the usual CV settings such as speed steps, 2-digit or 4 digit addresses, acceleration/deceleration rates, kick start voltage, etc. Summary I can definitely recommend this decoder. The set up is not too hard, the sounds are suitable for engines large and small, and the sounds are realistic. You will have fun trying out the different sounds that are available to find the combination you like. This is a quality product.

55 REVIEW: AtlasO 55 Ton Panel Side Hopper; MSRP: $57.95AtlasO, LLC, 378 Florence Avenue, Hillside NJ Reviewed by Richard A Madonna Jr. Prototype In a world where the laptop I m typing this on is two years old but is already yesterday s technology, the story of the 55 ton hopper is one of continued reuse. The 55 ton hopper came from the USRA designed World War I 50 ton hopper. These were 30 feet long and had a capacity of 1880 cubic feet. The bracing was on the exterior and consisted of seven posts. The panel sides came later as they were called in for rebuilding. Railroads were looking to expand the capacity of these hoppers, and modified them by applying panel sides between the vertical posts. This gave the cars their unique look and increased the capacity by 5 tons. The Model I was quite eager to see this model in person. Having built many Intermountain hoppers in the 90s, I was curious to see how AtlasO was able to match the details of the kits. I was never able to completely build one of these kits without breaking some detail part. The box was quite large. I d say Atlas could save some natural resources by going with a smaller box; although, in their defense, the car was well protected and was held securely in place. Trying to unpack the car took a couple of minutes as Atlas takes great care to get it to you safely. On pulling the car out of the foam, I did hear a crack and realized I pulled out a brace on the inside of the car. There goes my hope for having a complete hopper with no damage. I let it sit on the kitchen table for a general overview. I was quite impressed by the level of detail. The REVIEW: The Railroad Never Sleeps: 24 hours in the Life of Modern Railroading; MSRP: US$35, Can$38.50, UK 25 Voyageur Press, PO Box 1, Osceola WI Reviewed by Gene Clements The railroad never sleeps. How true this statement. As I start my thirty-second year of railroad service, I can personally attest to the truth of this book s title. Composed by popular railroad author Brian Solomon, who has written more than 30 books about railroads and motive power, and who has also given us many articles and photographs in railfan publications such as Trains, Railway Age, Passenger Train Journal and Railnews. This book is a 176 page hardbound photographic journal of American and Canadian railroading taken by a large group of rail photographers over a 24-hour period on May 10, Does the date ring a bell? May 10, 2007 was the 138th anniversary of the Golden Spike Ceremony at Promontory, Utah. The photographers literally covered locations from the grab irons were not oversized, the airlines looked right on and overall, it appeared close enough to scale size for me. Note for Atlas: Put up a QuickTime movie on your website to show us how these are built. Fidelity I thought the paint was evenly sprayed. Atlas covers the car with a nice flat finish, but I m planning to add a little weathering to age this car. The lettering is very clear and the paint is not too thick. This car came with scale couplers and metal wheels which were very shiny. The wheels need to be painted rust brown as do the couplers. The only criticism of the car was that the truck side frames appear to be quite thick. I may be wrong, so feel free to correct me on this. Performance In terms of rolling characteristics, I didn t test for friction of the bearings, but this car rolled smoothly on any surface, even off the track. As for weight, the car is quite heavy and will not require any additional weight to keep it on the track in pushing or pulling operations. A nice long, weathered string of these would go great with a coal facility, dock, small factory, yard, etc. The uses for this hopper are limited only by your imagination. East to the West coasts and many points in between. The rail systems represented vary from the Class 1 systems like the Union Pacific and BNSF to commuter lines such as MARC and MetroLink, as well as shortline operations like the Green Mountain Railway. While the trains may be the center of attraction, special attention is given to the people and crafts behind the scenes that keep the trains moving, giving the reader an overall look at what it takes to keep any rail system operating. The book and clock starts at 00:01 a.m. with photographers in place to capture operations at various locations and continues chapter by chapter through the 24-hour time period until 23:59 p.m. While some photographers maintained their location through this day, others moved to different locations to present an overall view of the area. A unique feature of this book is a set of photographs taken at 12:47 p.m. MDT across the country to commemorate the time the telegraph buzzed with the announcement that the United States was now joined by rail from coast to coast. The chapters of the book continue through the evening commuter rush into the night operations until the day ends at 23:59 p.m. This book gives us a unique look at modern day railroading on a commemorative day of the not so distant past. Loaded with fantastic photographs, this book would be a welcome addition to any modeler, railfan or railroad historian s collection. Sept/Oct 08 - O Scale Trains 55

56 Review: Crossing Signals, Model CS-2; MSRP: $ Custom Signals 27 Gellatly Dr, Wappingers Falls, NY Reviewed By Gene Clements The Prototype Custom Signal s CS-2 crossing signals are modeled after the prototype signals currently in use all across this country. Photo 1 shows a residential crossing on the BNSF main line not far from my home that protects a two-lane road. The only additional items you would need to model a scene like this would be an instrument case that houses the electronics, power supply and battery back-up for the crossing system and the guardrails protecting each mast. The Model The CS-2 set comes with one GCF-1 (Grade Crossing Flasher/Detector) for 3-rail, two AWS-1 (Advanced Highway Warning Signs) and two WPS-1 (Whistle Post signs), and two 4-light (bi-directional) crossing masts. One mast has a bell the other does not. (As a note, the CS-2 set is modeled with a mechanical bell. Prototype mechanical bells are currently being exchanged for the new electronic bell.) The signals come with an RJ-12 plug on the end of a 22 inch lead wire which should allow the signals to be positioned for a multiple track crossing. The crossing mast appears to be metal with attached metal and plastic castings to complete the assembly. As with the searchlight signals, each flasher housing contains an LED with a diffused red lens. You can even see the white flash of the signal head as you would on a locomotive approaching the crossing. Fidelity The signal stands approximately 16 scale feet above its simulated concrete base. Each flasher head is a detailed casting of the newer, large target housing in use today. The unit is pre-painted in a Silver/Aluminum color with flat black target rings. The crossbucks and track plate have a white face with black lettering (an industry standard). The track plate (which designates the number of multiple tracks) is removable, but decals are included when the signals are used to protect up to five tracks. No track plate means the signal system protects a single track. Compatibility I happened to have an older version of the CS-2 signal on hand. Photo 2 shows the older CS-2 flanked on either side by the new versions. Take a moment to view the differences. While similar in concept and construction, the new CS-2 is much-improved with a detailed flasher housing and the correct light diffusion pattern built-in. Performance The GCF-1 control board is designed for a prototypically slow flash rate with the Ramp up-ramp down effect of the real low voltage lights. Connections are made through plug-in and screw down terminals. Connections are provided for multiple zones and detection circuits as well as output terminals for a bell or other external accessory. While the board has a built-in detector for 3-Rail operation, the unit can be used in a 2-Rail application by installing a Start & Start current sensing detector in each direction, for each track that the system will protect. Optical-sensing or Infrared detection appliances can be used as well and would simplify the wiring and detection necessary for a multiple track installation. The GCF-1 is designed to operate on either 12-volts AC or DC. Included is a detailed set of instructions for all board connections and information on various detection circuit scenarios. Conclusions Once again Terry Christopher and the people at Custom Signals have given the O Scale marketplace a highly detailed and prototypically functioning model of a crossing signal appliance. The CS-2 signal set is only the beginning as a CS-1 (Single Set of Flashers) and CS-3 (Triple Set of Flashers), for use with a roadway that parallels the track to an intersection at the crossing, is also available and can be substituted for one of the units in the CS-2 set for a minimal fee. A CS-4 (Quad Set of Flashers) is slated for future production. As an O Scale Modeler, if you re in the market for a set of crossing flashers to protect those 1:48 scale motorists at your road crossings on the layout, then check out Custom Signals and their line of products. I can promise, you will not be disappointed. 56 O Scale Trains - Sept/Oct 08

57 REVIEW: Dr. Ben s Realistic Weathering Stains, Set #1; MSRP: $44.95 DEBEN LLC, PO Box , Lawrenceville GA wwwdebenllc.com Reviewed by Mike Cougill Back in the 1950s, John Allen rocked the world of model railroading by modeling the effects of age and weathering on objects such as structures and rolling stock. Since that time, a model doesn t look complete without some dust, grime, peeling paint or rust. Today, weathering of models has become an art form in its own right (see our feature article on page 4). Award winning modeler and dioramist Richard Ben Bendever has created a line of weathering stains and products based on his NMRA Clinic techniques. I ll give you the bottom line up front: I have no idea what this stuff is, but I like it. This particular product is designed to be a matched replacement for the long defunct, but much loved, Floquil weathering stains. My samples consisted of a thick liquid pigment base of some kind in a 70% alcohol solution. Colors are: Aged Driftwood, Hardwood Maple, Knotty Walnut ; Natural Basswood, Natural Pine, Nautical Teak, Realistic Oak and Rustic Barn Red. A 12 page How-To Guide #1 was also included. These stains can be handled in a variety of ways. You can brush them on full-strength like a heavy bodied opaque wood stain or as a transparent wash which enables many transparent layers to be built up. Wood or some other porous material is the obvious first choice for these stains, and I tried them out on a piece of scrap wood siding with excellent results. However, I mainly use styrene as a modeling medium and I was curious about how they d respond on a nonporous surface. The photo above shows two applications to a sheet of styrene. On the left, I simply brushed on the full-bodied stain with a soft bristled brush. As you can see, the coverage is spotty with a bit of streaking since the stain is just lying on the surface and not soaking in. To the right, I pre-wet the area with some denatured alcohol and dropped the stain into the wetted area. The alcohol allowed the pigments to disperse at random, letting them do what nature and chemistry dictate they do. Similar to laying down a watercolor wash in a painting (something I have a bit of experience with), the effects are marginally controllable by the amount of alcohol or wetness the area has. The How-To Guide suggests pre-wetting plastic models, then dropping or dabbing on varying amounts of the appropriately colored stain, letting the area dry for a few minutes and seeing what the results are. (You ll likely be pleasantly surprised.) The Guide book stated that the weathering effects do not have to be sealed, but be aware that the colors aren t permanent on nonporous materials like styrene. I was able to completely remove the color from my test piece, even after several days had passed, by rubbing it vigorously with an alcohol dampened paper towel. However, I did successfully apply another layer of color without disturbing the previous one. A use I hadn t planned on was coloring the existing scenery on the layout. I use sisal twine extensively for tall grass and wintertime weeds. The sisal has a natural yellow tan color that works okay but can be a bit boring en masse. Trying the Natural Pine and Realistic Oak Stains gave a convincing color to the twine that I really liked. The twine soaked up the colors in a random fashion. Some areas were more intensely colored; other spots had the natural color of the sisal showing through, giving the effect of grasses going into dormancy for the winter. Vigorously shaking the container will put the pigment into suspension just like a bottle of regular paint, but it doesn t stay in suspension long. This can be used to advantage by dipping the brush to the bottom of the jar to pick up the full strength pigment or just slightly dipping it to get a weaker semi-suspended coloring. I also used a spray mister filled with isopropyl alcohol to dilute areas of the grass where the stain was too dark for my liking. Once I got going, I colored half of the existing grassy areas on the layout in short order. They now blend in with the rest of the scenery and look much more natural to my eyes. I m certain that I ll find a use for this product on other parts of the scenery too. I think Dr. Ben has a winner with these products. Other products in the line include weathering powders, building materials and scenery items. Check them out. Sept/Oct 08 - O Scale Trains 57

58 REVIEW: USRA 40 Single-Sheathed Boxcar XX, MSRP: $49.95; and 2-Rail Bettendorf Freight Trucks # , MSRP: $12.95 M.T.H. Electric Trains, 7020 Columbia Gateway Drive, Columbia MD Reviewed by Joe Giannovario The Prototype By now, most every model railroader should know that the U.S. Government took over America s railroads during World War I and operated them under the United States Railway Administration (USRA). USRA committees were tasked to design standardized locomotives and rolling stock that maximized the use of common parts in order to make the most efficient use of materials at the time. These designs were so well-executed that the railroads continued to use them after the government ceded control back to the individual roads. Among the designs produced were a steel underframe 50-ton single-sheathed 40 boxcar and a steel underframe 40-ton double-sheathed 40 boxcar. The carbody designs were identical in dimensions except for the extra layer of sheathing on the 40-ton car. The 50-ton car had a straight steel underframe while the 40-ton car had a fishbelly underframe. Plans and elevation drawings for the single-sheathed car were published in the December 1986 Model Railroader. Elevations for both the single and double-sheathed cars may be found in Gregg s Train Shed Cyclopedia No. 3 (Box, Stock & Refrigerator Cars from the 1931 Car Builders Cyclopedia). The Model The MTH model of the single-sheathed car is made of mostly plastic with separately added details, such as hand grabs and brake staff. The underbody of the model is also plastic with die cast metal 3-Rail trucks and couplers. MTH also makes 2-Rail Bettendorf trucks to convert this and other MTH rolling stock to 2-Rail. The truck conversion requires removing four screws from the underframe (one in each corner) and then removing the floor to unscrew the 3-Rail trucks. The 2-Rail trucks were screwed into place and the floor re-installed. The whole process took less than 20 minutes. Just for grins, I attempted to replace the wheelsets in the 3-Rail trucks. After an hour of scrounging for flying springs, I concluded that for the same cost as NWSL wheelsets, the MTH 2-Rail trucks are a bargain. The 3-Rail trucks have the brake gladhand attached to them. I clipped these off and screwed them to the underframe next to the scale coupler boxes. Fidelity The MTH model is a very accurate. Every dimension I checked was spot on or within acceptable tolerances. Even the ride height of the car was correct with the 2-Rail trucks installed. The roof on the car seemed to deviate from the drawings but it matched the roof on the double-sheathed cars. In checking around I found that many roof designs were used on these cars, so I cannot say this roof is incorrect. The only thing I can find really wrong on the car is the dimensional data. At least it is incorrect on the Reading R.R. car I have. Not only is the dimensional data incorrect, so is the capacity data. A 50-ton car should have a capacity of 100,000 lbs. and a volume of 3098 cu. ft. The Reading car has a stated capacity of 135,000 lbs. (70 tons?) and a volume of 5100 cu. ft., clearly at odds with the prototype. If you don t look too closely, you won t notice it. Compatibility I checked the wheelsets with the NMRA O Scale standards gage and they pass. Coupler mounts for Kadee style boxes are provided and, once installed, the scale couplers were at the correct height without the need for shimming. Conclusions Overlooking the dimensional data inconsistencies, MTH has done an excellent job of reproducing a very common boxcar found on just about every railroad in the U.S. Both the single and double-sheathed cars will be right at home on any layout since they were used into the 1970s. 58 O Scale Trains - Sept/Oct 08

59 REVIEW: SceniKing R017 Treeline Background; MSRP: $46.95 BPH Enterprises, 4 Palmer Dr, Barrie, ONT Canada L4M 6V left margins. Photo 2 shows how we placed one image to overlap the previous one. Reviewed by Joe & Jaini Giannovario Making Backgrounds When we ran the article on Andy Romano s Ironbound R.R. (OST #33), many people asked about Andy s backgrounds and how they were made. Andy treated us to his method in OST #38. I am sure there are some that feel they don t have the skill or time to make their own backgrounds. That s where SceniKing Backgrounds can save the day. Les Mavor of BPH Enterprises was kind enough to send us two sets of their Treeline continuous background (#R017) for this review. The Images The SceniKing backgrounds are all made the same way. High quality photographic images are inkjet printed on 24 pound legal size paper. Each image overlaps the previous and succeeding image by a fair margin. You choose how you want to mount the images and where. We used the entire package and one sheet from a second set, but you can use any subset of images. The background we assembled was a hardwood forest. SceniKing backgrounds range from pastoral settings, to suburban, urban and heavy industrial scenes. Prices vary according to overall length. Almost all SceniKing backgrounds can be made into very long continuous scenes, either by combining them with other kits or simply using multiple copies of the same kit as we did. Assembly We decided to mount the images on a continuous surface as the wall along the area of the OST layout we wanted to cover is not flat. We purchased several sheets of Crescent brand cold press illustration board. This is a heavy cardboard that runs to in thickness. We trimmed the boards to be 13 inches high to match the image area of each image panel. We butted the boards end-to-end and used hot glue with the board trimmings to make lap joints. We ended up with a continuous flexible board just a tad over 10 feet long. Photo 1 shows the board test fitted in place on the layout. We used solid stick glue to hold the images in place. This was a little messy but worked out fairly well. Jaini remarked that if we still had our waxer from the old days of prepress it would be the perfect tool for applying the images. A waxer puts a thin coat of sticky wax on the back of copy and images that were stuck to large boards in the days before computers and desktop publishing. We could also have used a spray adhesive, but that would require extremely good ventilation or spraying outside. As it was still winter when we did this, working outside was not an option. The only real difficulty was handling 10 continuous feet of flexible board. The Crescent board was sturdy enough that it did not break or crack while we slid it around and carried it back to the layout. We placed the assembled background up against the wall. The right side is wedged behind a piece of scenery that you ll see in a later issue. The left side is not attached at all but we plan to secure it with hook-and-loop tape for easy removal. Photo 3 shows the background in place with an AtlasO MP15DC (see the review in this issue) in the foreground. Check out the tree immediately to the right of the MP-15. We think it looks real. We took the board to a large table and supported both ends with chair backs. We then started to assemble the images. BPH recommends taping images together in groups of three and then assembling these into the final image. We started this way but found it awkward handling the three sheet modules. So we started placing individual sheets. BPH also recommends trimming the right and left sides of the images before placement. We ended up trimming just the Conclusion We were very pleased with the way the treeline background worked out for us and we re looking at the rest of the SceniKing line to use on other parts of the layout. Even though we have the capability of making our own inkjet prints, we would still buy the SceniKing backgrounds since BPH has taken out all of the hard work by making sure the images overlap one another. Sept/Oct 08 - O Scale Trains 59

60 REVIEW: AtlasO 2-Rail Gold Series MP15DC; MSRP: $ AtlasO, LLC 348 Florence Ave., Hillside NJ Reviewed by Joe Giannovario The Prototype The EMD MP15 succeeded the SW1500 with the notable exception that the MP15 s rode on standardized Blomberg trucks like those found under road engines such as Geeps. This allowed the MP15s to operate at road speeds so they could be used outside of yard limits. This was part of EMD s continual upgrade program and the MP stands for Multi- Purpose. The MP15 made its debut on the Missouri Pacific in 1974, making it a relatively modern locomotive. The MP15s were bigger and longer than their SW sisters allowing for an additional 300 gallons of fuel (1400 gal. max.). An MP15 is 48 8 over the couplers and has a wheelbase of The MP15 is also boxier than its SW siblings and looks more modern. MP15s came in three classes having major to minor internal variations: DC Type 1, DC Type 2, and AC. The Type 1 and 2 designators are arbitrary labels applied by writer J. David Ingles, an assistant editor at Trains magazine. The difference between Type 1 and 2 is an improved air filter box on the Type 2 housed directly in front of the cab. The AC designation refers to a unit that generates and uses Alternating Current. Some of the major roads that purchased MP15DCs were: C&NW, Conrail, KCS, L&N, MoPac, P&LE, Frisco, Southern, and SP. For a more detailed discussion of MP15s please see J. David Ingles article on page 83 of the October 1978 issue of Model Railroader. If you go to the MR Magazine Index [index.mrmag.com] and search on MP15 you will get 12 additional references. The Model As you can see in the photo, the model Atlas sent for review is a Type 1 without the air filter box. However, Atlas does offer the Type 2 if you pick the correct road. You ll need to refer to the Atlas catalog to figure out which road is which type. I was impressed with the packaging for this locomotive. Besides the standard expanded Styrofoam packing, there were two heavy plastic inserts around the trucks that kept the model from moving at all in its box. Beggars can t be choosers but I d have rather had almost any other paint scheme than the Alaska R.R. It is rather garish but then that s how the prototype looks. The paint was applied smoothly and the lettering was crisp. Some of the details are quite delicate. The horns are cantilevered from the roof and a careless swipe will knock them off. I broke a wing window on the cab but was able to glue it back in place, one advantage of plastic models. The handrails are sturdy yet did not seem overly large. At one point during the review process, the center of the hood came off. I snapped it back in place and then could not figure out how to get it off again. I finally realized that gently squeezing the hood sides below the removable section is what allows it to be removed. Fidelity Using the plans published in the MR article cited, the model appears to be an accurate rendition of an EMD MP15DC in every respect. I could not find any significant deviation in any dimension I measured. There may be some out there reading this that have more info and know more about MP15 than I was able to dig up. If there is something amiss with this model, let s hear from you, please. Compatibility The model checked out on the NMRA O Scale Standards gage. The Atlas couplers mate with Kadees but not always with success. As this is a Gold Series locomotive, it is operable on both straight DC as well as DCC. Performance The MP15, like the AtlasO SW-series, has one can motor mounted horizontally driving both trucks from dual shafts. I ran the MP15 on straight DC at first. Even with all the electronics on-board, the loco started up (i.e., the sound came on) at 5 Volts DC and 400 ma. The slowest reproducible constant speed under DC control was at 9 Volts and 600mA which calculated out to 1.25 smph. This is excellent speed control. Running at 12 Volts DC under load (towing 12 freight cars, 11 lbs.), the current draw ranged from 900 ma on level track to 1100 ma on grade. The speed at these settings was 16 smph. Running under DCC, the slowest speed (on 128 steps) was 6.5 smph. I am not sure why I could not get a slower speed under DCC. Even at that speed, I had no trouble doing switching moves around the yard area. I coupled every car on the layout (16 in all) and ran the 60 O Scale Trains - Sept/Oct 08

61 MP15 around the layout until it was in the middle of the 3+% grade and stopped it there. The locomotive had no trouble starting up again and pulling the train through the rest of the grade. What I really like most about this locomotive was the sound. I am not at all familiar with Diesel sounds so I cannot tell you whether the model really sounds like an MP15DC or if the horn and bell are correct. What I can tell you is that under both DC and DCC, sound makes all the difference for me when running a Diesel. In my way of reasoning, if you have a soundless steam locomotive at least you get to watch the rods and valve gear move while it s running. With a Diesel, there s nothing. I turned off the sound on the MP15 and it glided around the layout effortlessly with almost no Product Review: Bachmann s Easy Command Dynamis Wireless DCC System; MSRP: $300 Bachmann, 1400 East Erie Ave. Philadelphia PA Reviewed by Mike Cougill The System Bachmann has introduced their Dynamis System, a wireless DCC command control system that uses infrared technology to communicate between the handheld controller and the base station. Rated at 2.3 amps and touted as a full-fledged DCC system, the box consisted of: a base station, various wiring clips, a wall transformer, and four AAA batteries for the handheld controller which utilizes a joystick to control the speed and some menu navigation functions. The controller also includes a lanyard or neck strap, an on/off switch, buttons to activate the various decoder functions, a button to reverse direction, menu buttons and an emergency stop button that will stop a train immediately. A large LCD display shows which functions are active, the loco or consist number currently in use, along with a speed graph and bars showing the signal strength. The size and shape of the controller is similar to those used in video game consoles and suggests two-handed operation. The base station is self-contained with jacks on the rear for the track power and the 110v. wall transformer with two LED indicators on top. The left-hand LED will flash when the STOP Button is on, or a short is present, and remain constant when the base station is powered. The right-hand LED will flash when command signals are received from the controller. Both will flash when the controller is out of range of the base station. The 28 page instruction manual covers the system setup, each button s function and the programming sequences for changing things like the number of speed steps, a loco s gear noise at all. With the sound turned on, I could hear the prime mover labor on the grades and ease off on the down slope which made operating it a lot more fun. Conclusion Reviewing a Diesel is a stretch for me, so be kind if I made a mistake somewhere. I had so much fun running this model I actually toyed with the idea of bringing the Coal Creek Railway from the 1940s and 50s into the 70s and 80s. Then, I regained my senses, but I would seriously consider adding a Gold Series SW1500 to the CCR roster. The MP15 ran extremely well under both DC and DCC while the addition of sound made the experience that much better. Atlas hit a home run with this one. address, consists and altering CV values. Installation Hooking the system up couldn t be simpler. All that s needed is a 110VAC outlet for the transformer and two wires connected to the layout. My layout was wired for DCC from the beginning, so all I did was pop the supplied batteries in to the handheld controller, disconnect my temporary power supply and hook up the Dynamis base station to the layout using one of the supplied wiring clips. The system picked up my decoder equipped loco instantly and I was off and running. My Impressions The system does what it says it will do. Running a train was simple, just as you d expect with any other type of control system. The joystick took a bit of getting used to along with the awkward shape of the controller itself. One thing I discovered quickly was the line-of-sight requirement between the controller and the base station. Even though I had placed the base station in a central location, it was still possible to lose the signal unless I was careful to keep the controller pointed towards the base station. The train would simply stop when the signal loss happened. The first time it happened I had no idea what was going on. Looking at the LCD display showed zero bars, no signal. The emergency stop feature would engage and I d have to point the controller at the base station to re-acquire the two-way communications. For a large layout or a linear design, this aspect would likely prove frustrating. I wanted to focus on the train and its operations, not worry about which way I was pointing the controller. Another feature built into the system is a time delay between sending a command and the response. I discovered this when trying to switch cars. I d back a cut of cars into position, stop to reverse direction and then open the throttle again. There would be a five second or longer delay before the engine responded. The instructions indicated this could be switched off, but weren t really helpful in telling how. I never have figured it out. However, in all fairness to Bachmann, I m not an electronics person. I had no trouble in changing decoder functions like the loco s address or number of speed steps. Overall, I have mixed thoughts about this system. For a small layout or one where the operator will tend to stay stationary, the system would be fine. For a larger walk-around type of layout, the limitations of the infra-red signal may prove frustrating. Sept/Oct 08 - O Scale Trains 61

62 Review: MTH DCS Commander; MSRP: $ MTH Electric Trains, 7020 Columbia Gateway Drive, Columbia MD Reviewed by Mike Pitogo The DCS Commander is MTH s entry level command system targeted mainly at HO modelers to accompany their recent foray into HO Scale locomotives. Its main audience is those who wish to unlock some of the basic features of MTH s ProtoSound 3.0 equipped locomotives under DCS mode. The unit is specified to operate conventional DC and DCS locomotives and DCC with a pass-thru option. Similarly, MTH s current HO offerings, such as the PRR K4 and Erie Triplex and soon to be announced SP models, feature three modes of operation: DC, DCC and DCS, making the system an easy fit into any power system. The Commander itself is a fairly small unit requiring an external power source to power both the unit itself and the track. Power can be a combination of DC or AC or DCC; however, in order to use the DCC pass-thru option, the unit must be initially powered by a DCC system or a DCC booster output to enable the pass-thru mode. The unit has a five amp rating suitable for most small to medium sized HO layouts. The DCS Commander is also advertised to be capable of powering and running O Scale ProtoSound 2.0 equipped locomotives. For this review all testing and evaluations took place at the New York Society of Model Engineers O Scale railroad. The Commander has been installed and operates a mediumsized engine maintenance yard, turntable and freight passthrough line where engines are swapped at the NYSME s Union Connecting Railroad. The Commander s operation was mainly in DCS and DC, unfortunately no testing of DCC was performed (see Addendum). However, this review will also compare the DCS Commander against its older sibling, the full DCS system, TIU and remote (version 4.0) to get an idea of how they differ. The basics of wiring any command control system are as simple as getting power into the unit and onto the track. The DCS Commander was in fact just that simple. The block and toggle switch topology, the mainstay of 2-Rail DC, made it easy to wire since it conforms to most of the necessary requirements of a good DCS signal. The star or home run to each block ensures one signal path to the rails. The other small item to add is the DCS signal enhancing light whose purpose is letting the operator know there is current going to the rails. DCS Features and Controls Control of most of the features that make the PS2.0 locomotives fun to operate are included in the interface of the DCS Commander. There are three main button areas of the Commander. The left section is dedicated to system and engine configuration, the middle is dedicated to locomotive control and visual status and the right section is dedicated to the other PS2.0 locomotive s DCS features. The system and engine configuration are where we added PS2.0 locomotives to the system by turning on the block containing the unit we wanted, switching the Commander to DCS mode and then pressed Add. Within a second the engine will appear with a numerical address designated to that unit. Dealing with address numbers instead of names can get a bit confusing, so it s best to write this information down if you will be working with more than a handful of units. One issue I found with this system, the addresses are automatically chosen and in one case I had two locomotives using the same address number. The addresses of individual locomotives can be changed after they ve been added but do pay close attention to this one step. With all the locomotives added, move onto the middle and right button areas where all the fun is controlled. On/ Off toggle control of smoke, headlights, Doppler and passenger/freight yard sounds are in the main center panel with LCD display symbols of their status. The big bell and whistle buttons and the Aux1 for short, SC1 and Aux 3 for SXS used on newer sound sets are the most used sound buttons. If you are familiar with DCC, DCS or TMCC these areas are where most of the control takes place and are similar to the other command systems except for a couple buttons dedicated to PS2.0 or PS3.0 only features. Taking DCS control of a PS2.0 locomotive involves two basic steps: turn the toggle for the block(s) the locomotive is in and set the Commander to DCS mode. If you wish to operate more than one unit, the best method to do so would be to turn the toggles on for each PS2.0 locomotive and then press the DCS button. This will ensure all of the units you wish to operate will start up in command mode. The startup sequence includes a watchdog signal the DCS Commander presents to operate in command. Additionally, the Commander reads the locomotives from the track and puts it in the active list of engines. If startup is not done in this manner, simply turning the toggle on will immediately present the locomotive with constant voltage minus the watchdog signal. The unit will accelerate to Mach 1 speeds and it also won t be available to the DCS Commander since it wasn t read during the initial startup. With the active list of locomotives added and in the normal state of command operation, we can select a locomotive from the active list of addresses and start it up. Describing the rest of what the buttons do is best left to your imagination... notch the throttle up, blow the whistle and you re down a path to locomotive bliss. Past the startup sequence, the intuitive layout and ease of use make it a natural extension of the DC throttle. One fellow NYSME member commented: The DCS Commander makes it easier to perform switching operations. Utilizing a single direction button, there are no toggles to move. In command mode you also benefit from a finer degree of control versus conventional DC. The PS2.0 units are able to achieve nice slow speeds. You set the dial and you are assured the locomotive will try to move at that speed setting without fear of stalling. I tested models with smooth slow speeds as low as 1smph from large steamers and 3smph with most diesels. DC Features and Controls The next best thing of the DCS Commander is the abil- 62 O Scale Trains - Sept/Oct 08

63 ity to run an analog DC throttle. The DCS Commander s throttle is a continuous scrolling wheel with no locking position for max voltage and zero voltage; instead you get solid state control. Controlling DC voltage with the wheel is very different from DCS where each click gives you incremental movement allowing 1smph changes. In DC mode each notch moves the voltage up or down in increments of one tenth of a volt. This may be both a positive and a negative attribute. As a negative attribute, you don t know exactly where you are on the throttle through tactile feedback. Instead you must rely on watching the locomotive and the built-in voltage/ammeter. A positive attribute of having the scrolling wheel allows both granular voltage changes with very small throttle increments and very fast large voltage changes. Move the throttle slowly and the voltage increments slowly, great for getting locomotives started at a creep. Move the throttle fast and the voltage will also jump in big increments. This gives you both great control in slow, wide throttle movements and immediate control in fast, short throttle jumps. One of the other positive attributes of the Commander s DC mode is having the voltage and ammeters displayed with 0.1 resolutions allowing you to know when the locomotive is stalled due to no electrical continuity or shorted. In addition to the throttle, the other control feature is the direction button. This button allows you to change the polarity without the need to toggle all the associated blocks. There is one minor thing to contend with in operating non PS2.0 equipped locomotives. DC mode momentum doesn t slow the loco down and then flip the polarity; it just flips the polarity right away. With this mode of operation, non PS2.0 locomotives will instantly reverse. PS2.0 locomotives sense the polarity change and begin the slowdown sequence, stop and accelerate in the reverse direction. Although it is a great feature of PS2.0, it would also be nice to have that included in the momentum feature of DC mode control. Comparison to full DCS system In DCS mode, the system performs as well as a full DCS system but with a much more limited feature set. For operations on the engine yard and maintenance facility, the system was more than adequate to operate the locomotives. However compared to the full DCS system there is one thing the DCS Commander can t do. It cannot power up a PS2 locomotive in command mode under DC while the system is already operating. In DCS AC with the full system, we are able to power up a PS2 locomotive sitting on a dead block. It will power up in conventional AC neutral, perform a shutdown/startup cycle in DCS and it s ready to go. In DCS DC mode operation, the PS2 locomotive will start then fly off not sensing the watchdog signal. The pros to the system are: fast responsive controls, control of most of the DCS functions, easy to use and the analog DC mode with digital volt and ammeters. Cons are: it suffers from the same signal issues as the full DCS system; DC mode momentum doesn t slow the loco down and then flip the polarity, it just flips it right away. DCS to DC mode switch defaults in max voltage causing flying locos; sometimes the panic button is not responsive and there s no access to additional soft key features other than aux 1, 2, 3. Comments I purchased the DCS Commander from a local hobby shop for $ plus tax. It s not too bad for what you pay for. As a controller alternative to DCS I think it s pretty neat. You don t get all the bells and whistles of the full system and it may not be the most full featured but right now its perfect for basic yard duties in DC or DCS. Addendum I tested the DCS Commander in DCC Pass-Thru mode and it worked flawlessly. The DCS Commander automatically sensed that there was a DCC system attached and started up in Pass-Thru mode sending the DCC signal from my DCC handheld to a DCC locomotive. The DCS Commander will also take a DCC input signal, convert it for use by the Commander and output it as rectified DC or a DCS signal. In effect, when powered by a DCC system, you have three different types of control systems in a minimum amount of volume. You can switch between the control modes as long as you power down whatever type of model is on the track at the time before the switch. - Joe Giannovario Stevenson Preservation Lines O Gauge Kits and Parts from past Master Modelers Catalog 2005 Price: $3.00 Baldwin Model Locomotive Works Lobaugh Adams & Sons Lenoir Kansas City Kit Hines Lines Alexander Pearce Tool Co. Bob Stevenson, th St. Ames, IA railsunl@sbcglobal.net We take time to give you full service Unique O Scale models Urethane cars; 40 & 50 boxcars, reefers, stock cars, milk cars, pickle car & circus cars. Full Service O Scale Dealer Kits, DCC & Sound Supplies Books: new & out of print Darkroom Services Railroad Photos Model Railroad Sales & Service Ted Schnepf 126 Will Scarlet Elgin Il or Sept/Oct 08 - O Scale Trains 63

64 TRUE TO SCALE BOX CAR Plastic Construction with Brass Castings On3/On30 Scale $42.00/unit, Delivery Fall 2008 Available in Data Only, D&RGW Flying Rio Grande, D&RGW Royal Gorge, Rio Grande Southern, Colorado & Southern On3 Box Car D&RGW 3749 AMS (American Model Supply) division of Accucraft Trains Central Ave, Union City, CA 94587, USA, T: (510) , F: (510) , O Scale Trains - Sept/Oct 08

65 Jus Trains Info (302) Orders (888) *Mon-Fri 9-6 Sat 11-4* Fax Orders (302) Newark Shopping Center Newark, DE Store open 7 days a week MC VISA DISC. AMEX Atlas 2-Rail Clearance Trainman 40 Sliding Door Box Car 32 BAR, JC, Lack, GN, NP 40 Plug Door Box 32 C&O, CGW, WM Bay Window Caboose 32 CSX, Frisco, MP, SP 40 Hy-Cube Box Car 32 UP, Burlington, ICG, MR Master Series 40 Pulpwood Flat Car 43 D&H, SF, WM 3-Bay Cylindrical Hopper 45 PRR, Cumberland, USI Petro, 6-Bay Cylindrical Hopper 45 Wabash, Cotton Belt 40 GATX Airslide Hopper 45 RG, PRR, Brach s, Chessie, PC PS-4427 Grain Hopper 45 Continental, Producers, PRR, B&M 33K Gallon Tank Car 45 Wanda, ACF Demo War Emergency DC Hopper 40 B&O, Burl, GA, L&N, PRR, Alton 40 USRA Sgl Sheath Box Car 42 SP MOW, MOW, PRR, JC, CNJ WM,RFP,Erie,MKT,PRRLines 40 Steel Rebuilt Box Car 42 C&NW, RS&P, C&O, MoPac 53 Evans Plug Door Box Car 44 BN, UP, MP, Aloha, Bend Mills, MNS 60 Auto Parts Box Car 44 CN,GTW,N&W,C&O,UP,CB Extended Vision Caboose 53 BN, RG, BN Freedom, DMIR, GN, Chessie Safety, SF Ltd, Rutland, SOO Line, Chessie, Indian Harbor, RF&P, Conrail Standard Cupola Caboose 53 MRL, NS, N&W NE-6 Caboose 53 NH, Clinchfield, P&LE, WLE, N&W, NYS&W, Conrail, Shaw 40 Woodside Reefer 44 Blatz, Del Maiz, Silver Edge, B&M, WP, Atlas, Phoenix, Century, Merchant s, Nash, ART, Fairmont, Donaldson, Goetz, LaCrosse, 40 Re-Built Woodside Reefer 44 Undec, Hardy Salt, Oak Grove, Silver Edge, Canada Dry, Prairie Farm, Glaser Crandell,, Meeter s, Pabst-ett, Stokely s, Sun-Rayed 36 Woodside Reefer 44 Und, Hormel, Oscar Mayer, Krey s Cudahy, NKP, Sou Star, Clicquot, Page, Pearl-Brand, Fox Beer,, Wescott & Winks, Crown, Blatz Kornblum, Columbus, Noack, Swift s, Kahn s, Kraft, Rath s Grand Union, Ralston Purina, 50-Ton Fishbelly DC Hopper 42 Und, NS, B&O, ACL, D&H x 2 11K Gallon Tank Car 46 Columbia, Homgas, Essotane, Hooker, Adirondack, Undec 17K Gallon Tank 54 Hooker, PPG, ADM, Cargill, LSI, GATX, Minn.Corn Products 89 Flats Erie, FEC, SF, WP 55 Golden Gate Depot 21 Aluminum Passenger 6-pk 545 Full Interior, People, Detailed NYC, SF 2-Pk SP Daylt Alum 5-Pk 545 SP Articulated Diner Set PRR Smooth Side 5Pk 545 Fleet of Mod, Brown Post-War PRR Queen Mary Observation Dreyfus J-3a Hudson, & PRR D78 Diner 265 Del PRR P70 20 Coach 4-Pk 399 LIRR, PRSL, PRR Post-War 12# PRR B70 Baggage, PB70 Combine, BM70 Mail RPO 3-Pk 359 NYC F-12e Ten Wheeler Head-End Set 359 Brass John Bull Passenger Set 385 B&O, GN, NH, NYC, NP, N&W, SF, NSDash9TankTrainSet 625 SP Green, SP Gray, SP Daylt, Pullman, S-2 Diesel Switcher SP, CNW 342 UP Gray, UP Yellow, Undec Green Cotton Belt SD40T SD70Ace Power 411 KCS 20 Diner/Observation 2-Pk 265 B&O, C&O, CBQ, CP, GN,N&W, NH, NP, NYC Gray, NYC Betterment, Pullman, SP Gray, SP Green, SP Daylt, UP Gray, UP Yellow, Undec Pullman Heavywt Sleeper 109 Pullman, NYC, NYC Pullman, PRR Pullman 12-1 Heavywt Sleeper 109 PRR & Pullman New Run REA 54 Reefer 4# $65 4/$245 Del ACL, B&O, NYC, SF, GN, REA Green, REA Red Logo, Orig White Weaver Models 2008 CP Jubilee 939 Cmd 1039 CN U4b Royal 4-8-4, Cmd 1045 GTW U4a R Aluminum 5-Car Set 549 NW, PR, AK, CNJ, LV, CN, LN, GTW Troop Sleeper 4# 89 Troop Hospital 4# 89 Troop Kitchen 4# 89 B60 Baggage 4# 75 Rdg, NYC, CP, CSS, UP, NH, PRR, LIRR, Unlettered, N&W RPO 4# 79 Roads as above VO 1000 Cmd/EOB/RS 249 WP, C of GA MOW Troop Cars 50 2/$95 Monon, N&W, CB&Q, Guard, C&O, GTW, Erie, WM, L&N, Lack Wartime Gondola w/die-cast Trucks $25 each or 4/$90 4# N&W, MEC, Sou,LN,B&M New Haven I-5 TMCC/EOB 1049 O-54, 24 L, Script or Block NH Green Coach 4-Pk Pk 550 UP Gray, SLSW, KCS,LV4-Pk 299 Brass Switch Tower $55 3 Colors If Weaver has it in stock, We will get it for you at a discount & ship over $200 for free K-Line Tank Engine $399 Lionel 2008 Volume I SP AC-4 Cab Forward 1425 Pere Marquette Berkshire 1109 Legacy Scale Polar Exp. Tender 369 Pennsylvania M1b 1109 U30C RI, MP Dash 8 ATSF 415 D&H GP38-2 Power 368 Dmy 184 GP7 368 PRR, DRGW 2007 Volume I - Legacy Sante Fe E6 Atlantic x UP Heritage SD70ACe 377 WP, UP, RG,CNW,SP Shay Birch Valley, Cass Scenic 699 Lionel Blow-outs Hogwarts Express 225 w/o Track & Transformer 175 Steel Reefer 2-Pk 65 Dubuque, ADM, National Frisco or CE&I Hopper 35 SD40-3 Tunnel CN PS-2 Covered Hopper 32 NYC, PC PRR GG-1 Silver NYC Flat w/trailers Imco PS-2 Hopper 2-Pk 75 U30C Diesel Dmy 119 MR C&O 4-Pk Pk 140 Diner 150 All seven cars for $525 Op. Hot Box wrs 55 MDT, SF PRR F-7 Pwr B 160 Breakdn B NYC E-7 Breakdown B 150 Sante Fe F-7 Breakdown B unit 150 MTH 2008 Vol II 2 or 3R Premier Madison 5-Pk Pk 137 JC, NYO&W, Reading RPO 77 Erie, VGN Triplex 1299 Princess Coronation Steam 1079 London, Midland, & Scot, British GP-35 Pwr 389 Dmy 169 3R 399 PRR, NYC, GN, Alaska SD70ACe 389 Dmy 169 2R 399 BHP Billiton, KCS, UP SD70M Dmy 169 2R 399 NS, CN SD Rail Pwr 359 Dmy 169 UP, Marquette, IC, BCR F-3 ABA 649 Dummy B 139 B&M, CN,SF,SP&S F40PH 3-R Power 389 Dmy 169 Alaska, Amtrak, CAR, VIA E-8 ABA 649 Dmy B 139 B&O,Burl,Lack,PRR Premier Passenger Cars 5-Pk Pk 137 Full Vista 77 RPO 77 Alaska, B&O, Burlington, Lack, PRR, Sante Fe, VIA Rail GP Dmy 169 BAR, Erie GP Dmy 169 C&O, UP AEM-7 Electric 389 Dmy 169 Amtrak x 3, MARC, Septa Amfleet 4-Passenger Pk 142 Septa, MARC, Amtrak x 2 EP-3 Electric 739 NH x 3 EP-2 Bipolar 615 MR x 3 MTH 2008 Vol I 2 or 3 R NYC Transit R27 4-Pk Pk 279 SP Cab Forward Freight Set 1389 CNW E-4 Strm Hudson Pass Set Northern 999 ACL, SF, UP FEF w/legacy Grey or Blk 989 Frisco Meteor, Frisco Will Rogers Alco S CVT,JC,NP,SF F-7 ABA 649 B-Unit 139 CP, Clinchfield, MR, SP PRR P-5a Box Cab Electric 739 Diesels Pwr 389 Dmy w/lts 169 AC6000 NS, CSX, BNSF, UP AC4400cw CNW, KCS, Quebec, UP SD-80MAC NS, CSX SD-9043MAC CP, UP SD45T-2 Tunnel KCS, SP, SLSW SD-35 Chessie, PRR, Sou, W. MD Diesels Power 359 Dmy w/lts 169 GP-40 B&O, CNW, Rdg, WC GP38-2 BNSF, B & Pitt, MEC, W&S SD40-2 CN, Conrail, MoPac, UP GP-60M BNSF, Maersk, SF Premier Specialty Sets Flying Yankee Zephyr 4-Unit 649 Burlington Zephyr 4-Unit 649 Mark Twain Zephyr 4-Unit 649 Maersk GP-60M Twin-stack 649 NYC J-1e w/pt Passenger 999 CNW E-4 Hudson Passenger 999 SP Cab Forward Freight Set 1399 C&O M-1 Stm Turbine Pass Set N&W C420 Dummy 99 PC E-44 Tropicana 4 Reefer Set 475 Lionel TMCC & Power Berkshire 799 #990 Legacy Command Set 259 Chessie, Erie #993 Legacy Expansion Set 219 TMCC Cab-1 59 Command Base 59 TMCC Command Set 109 Lionel ZW W Brick 75 TPC TPC PM-1 62 ARC 73 ASC 67 AMC 73 BPC 67 E44 Electric Conrail, PRR 385 B&A TMCC RS Cruise OTC 59 AVC 105 SC-2 Controller 74 E33 Electric N&W, VA, NH 385 MTH Premier SD50 3R 385 2R 399 Dmy 137 Chessie, CSX, KCS, MP ES44AC 3R 385 2R 399 Dmy 142 BNSF, CP, GE Demo, UP Dash 8-40C Narrow 3R 385 2R 402 CNW, CSX, UP, NS Dmy $142 GE U30C Power 3R 385 2R 399 BN, NS, Rdg, UP Dummy $142 UP Heritage Series 2R 399 UP, CNW, MKT, MP, WP L Mikado LNE American CP, UP Passenger 3-Pk $222 Coach 79 B&O, PRR, UP, CP, LI, Strasburg Diesel Locomotives Union Pacific #80 Coal Turbine 909 Sharknose AB 488 A-Unit 135 NYC, B&O, D&H R40 4-Car Set 439 Dmy 2-Car 168 MTH Blow-outs, PS 2.0 Premier N&W Class A $1150 Scale USRA Light Mikado 725 CN, NYC, PRR, Pere Marquette, UP Switcher w/slope Tender 475 C&O, PRR Steam Switcher 449 A&S, Erie PRR P5a 3 Variations 535 FF-1 Electric Locomotives 615 GN, PRR x 2 PRR High Cube Box 35 6-Pk 185 Harley-Davidson 3-Pk x 2 99 Premier Flat w/2 Police Cars 39 OC, CT, Denver,AK,FL,Detroit,WV K-Line 2008 Volume I MR EP-5 TMCC, Railsounds 395 MR Aluminum 4-Pk Pk 185 RS-3 Diesel w/tmcc & Smoke 299 NYC, PRR, PE, E-Lack, B&M Southern FM 355 Caboose 52 PRR or CNJ Boxcab 78 PRR A w/tmcc Bay DC Hopper 38 3-Pk 102 MR NP Aluminum Hopper 45 3-Pk 124 Reading Alum Tank 45 3-Pk 124 Overland Models $1800 UP C44ACCTE #5735 Flag UP C44-9W #9700 or #9716 UP C60AC #7567 or #7567 UP SD90043AC #8024 UP SD90AC #8201 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 Light Trackside Signal 36 DZ Light Trackside Signal 39 DZ-1070 Track Sensor 15 DZ-1080 Color Position 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

66 Just Trains TM Most Orders Ship within 24 Hours Orders (888) Info (302) Atlas 2-Rail Atlas 2-Rail 3 rd Rail/Sunset Models Discontinuing Engines & Rolling Stock PRR Mikado BN GP-35, DC BNSF Patch Job -8, DC BNSF Patch Job Dmy GE Demo Dash 8, DC Reading GP-35, DC 3# 250 GP60M SF, DC 299 SD45 Pwr 389 Dmy 169 2R 399 MR, GN x 2, SF, UP SD70ACe 389 Dmy 169 2R 399 BHP Billiton, KCS, UP SD70M Dmy 169 2R 399 NS, CN AA16 NOHAB 3-R R 449 GN, Denmark, GM Demo, Norway, Belgium, Luxembourg, Hungary UP Mikado 725 MTH Diesels Fixed Pilots SD70M-2 FEC, EMD 399 SD40T-2 DMIR, BLE 399 C&O Heaviest Hudson L-2/A 1155 PRR Old Rivets GG Conrail, Bi-Centennial, Wiskers, Strasburg Grn 5-S, Loewery 5-S 2112 SP GP-35, DC 2# Savannah & Atlanta WM GP-35, DC NKP GP-35, DC 250 GP-35 also in PRR, CNW, GA 2235 MR Hiawatha Power B Ann Arbor RS-1, DC 299 GP60M BNSF, DC 349 GP60B BNSF Red/Silver DC 325 GP60B BNSF Red/Sil, Dmy VT Railway GP60, DC 299 Undec, SF 349 Dmy 185 GP-9, DC WM 299 MTH Steam Scale Wheel Steam w/ps 2.0 Available w/electrocouplers Russian Decapod 899 ACL,Erie,PittShaw&N,W.Md FlecheD Or2-3-1E Pacific 899 PRR 2-8-0H-3 #1187 or # LV John Wilkes 20 4-Pk 399 Orient Express Pacifc Car Orient Passenger Set $419 TRAXX F140 AC R 449 Demo, SBB Cargo, Veolia, Europe In-Stock Scale Wheels Rdg T Am. Freedom JC P47 Baldwin Paciic 525 NKP P47 Baldwin Pacific 685 UP SD40-2T Scale Wheels 399 SD70ACe UP Heritage 399 Z AIU 85 DCS 249 Lionel Reservations available for Fall delivery TMCC & Railsounds 385 NYC, Rdg, B&O, WM TMCC, RS, Odys 715 WP, UP, MR, ATSF Golden Gate Depot GN 19 th Reading Company 20 4-pk 399 Cent SP M-6 w/vandy Tender 899 SP M-6 w/whaleback Tender 899 SP M-9 w/whaleback Tender 899 GN M or 3R 1650 NYC Dreyfuss Scullin Disc Drivers 1938 & th Century Ltd pk different passenger sets UP FEF, TMCC, EOB 1199 CN U2g, GTW U3b, OC U3b w/tmcc, EOB Cruise 7892 Washington Terminal 299 Other RS-1: NH, RI, C&O PRR, ACL, MP, NKP Royal Hudson 899 BC, CP, Southern, CP-Royal Tour DRG, WM 19 th Century See Website for More Scale Wheel Steam w/ps 2.0 K-Line 2-R Shay $499 Lackawanna, PLC Colorado 2 Heaters 1425 CB&Q, B&LE, DMIR N&W Y-6B , EOB 1695 CPR D , 2 versions Jersey Central SD SP SD-35, DC USRA Steam 519 CB&Q, GM&O, MEC, RI, T&P Camelback Steam 819 JC, NYO&W, Reading Cass Scenic, Weyerhauser Shay Interstate Mikado L&NE Mikado 650 Weaver RPO 79 B60 75 NH,SF,B&M,N&W,PRR, NYC, CN, CP, Undec Third Rail PRR O-1 2-Unit Electric, TMCC 975 LIRR BB1 Rats (2), Conv w/snd 575 B&M R , TMCC, EOB CSX SD-35, DC 275 N&W J-Class # s NYC Dreyfus J&L Silver, Koppers Black 219 A-4 Pacific Mallard Types 7823 Penn Central SD-35, DC 275 Princess Coronation Steam 1079 London, Midland, & Scot, British SP Daylt GS B&O Q4b 2-8-2, EOB JC P Dash 8, DC Und, UP, BC, SP 299 Dummy for above 195 GP-35 Pwr 389 Dmy 169 3R 399 PRR, NYC, GN, Alaska N&W Class A #1218 or # PRR Doodlebug, TMCC 675 NSL Silverliner 3-Unit Pricing to Follow

67 Just Trains TM Free Shipping over $200 on most orders Orders (888) Info (302) One Stall Diesel Shed w/shop Action Machinery 6 x Gen Lt & Power Sub Station Midland Supply 8x Stall Roundhouse, 30 D A Xtra Stall or 304B Extender Jaybar Company 6 x JLC Manufacturing John s Cutlery 6x Sandhouse, 16 x Lehigh Engineering 6 x Skyline Steel 6 x American Flag Co. 14x Stall Diesel Shed 25 x A Extender 12.5 x Blackshear Refrig. Transport Shoe Co. 7 skylts 20 x 9 x Stall Trolley Barn 23 x Joe s Pickle Factory 14 x Freight Terminal 8 x Quincy Mining Co Shanahan Freight 20 x 8 x 9H Buck Island Canning 8 x Gen Lt & Pwr Office 6x13x Mitchell Textile Co Perfect Tool Co. 8 x RJK Tool & Die 9 x P56 Cut Stone P81 Random Stone Grain Silo, 7 x 34 x 22 H Roller Bearing Co. 9 x P83 Concrete 10 P57 Double Lewis & Sons Machine Shop Quaker Foods 9 x D929 Roof Top Water Tank D Grain Silo, 7 x 19 x 22 H James Company 13 x 8 x 9H Stall Roundhouse 26 Deep General Light & Power 48 L Mill Works 11 x 7 w/tower 49 New Modular System Kit Unlimited configurations 24 walls Just Trains (888)

68 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 or called in must use a credit card. See our contact info on page 2. WANTED: Small N&W custom-built or scratchbuilt steam, 4-8-0, 2-8-0, Also looking for N&W brass parts, e.g., pilot, cylinders, domes, tenders, etc. Contact Joe Giannovario, jag@oscalemag.com or call FREE O SCALE LIST: List of O Scale shows for Send LSSAE to Bob Retallack, Dept OST08, 2224 Adner Ct, Columbus, OH FOR SALE: Large Estate Sale of over 400 models from the late Tony Ambrose. For printed lists please send $5 to Bob Anson, 2520 Spring Lake Rd West, Jacksonville FL For a list via , contact Ron Dettmer at [roscaler@bellsouth.net]. September : Indianapolis, IN Indy O Scale two day swap. Tables: $60. Admission/registration $20 per person. Contact Jim Canter, 1203 Rotherham Ln. Beech Grove IN Phone : Merchantville, NJ Cherry Valley Model RR Club open house: 10:00 am to 1:00 pm. Admission$5, tables$16. Grace Episcopal Church, 7 Maple Ave, Merchantville, NJ. Model railroad open from Noon to 6:00 PM. Info: John P. Dunn, Sr., , [jdunn8888@ hotmail.com]. October : Gardner, MA Southern New England Model RR Club s O Scale train show with fully sceniced and signaled, 21 X 63, DCC operating modular layout plus permanent layout under construction. Hours 9:30 am to 4:00 pm at the United Methodist Church, 161 Chestnut Street, Gardner, MA. Dealers and displays with available food and beverages. Ample FREE parking. $5 per Adult, max $8/family. Dealer tables available. Call Larry Grant, 347 Balcom Street, Mansfield, MA 02048, evenings for table prices and availability, BigBrotherLar@netzero.net 11: Wind Gap, PA Eastern O Scalers 2-Rail swap meet at the Plainfield Fire Hall, 6480 Sullivan Trail, 9 AM to 1 PM. Adm. $5; (spouses & children under 14 are free), $16 for the first table (includes one admission) and $12 for each additional table. Dealer set-up Friday evening 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm and Saturday 7:00 am to 9:00 am. Info, SASE to EOS, PO Box 1781, Bensalem PA 19020; (215) Contact: [eostrains@comcast.net]. 68 O Scale Trains - Sept/Oct 08 WANTED: Fred Icken castings for the PRR O1 electric - any condition, from running, all the way down to missing and cut pieces. I have one, but they tell me these things run in pairs! Also looking for a single Lobaugh stock car side to use as a pattern. Bob Turner, 7237 Werner St, San Diego CA FOR SALE: Large mint-condition book collection. Also, Modular Railroad Structures product line for sale. Contact: john@pecosriverbrass.com WANTED: OMI EMD FL-9, new or used, Call Roy, FOR SALE: 2-Rail Sunset/3rd Rail PRR N1s , like new in box, dated 12/99, $1100; 2-Rail Sunset PRR Q1 A like new in box, $1200; 2-Rail Sunset/3rd Rail set of five (5) P54 commuter cars: 1xBM62 baggage, 1xPB54 combine, 3xP54 passenger 30-11/2: Napierville, IL RR Prototype Modelers Meet. Details TBA. Holiday Inn November : Kirtland, OH 2008 Western Reserve O Scale train show and Lakeland Community College, 190 and State Rt Admission: $6. Tables (6 ): $37. Show hours 9:00 am to 2:00 pm. Contact Bob Frieden, : Orlando, FL Fla. O Scaler s 9th Annual O Scale 2-Rail Meet held at the Airport Holiday Inn, 5750 T.G. Lee Blvd which is just off SR-436 (Semoran Blvd) and the Beach Line Expressway (SR-528). Room rate is $99 per night, ask for code SLR when making your reservation. The swap session will be from 9:00 am to noon. Set up will start at 8:00 am. Table rental will be $15.00 ea., (6 x 30 ). There is only space for 20 tables so get your reservations in early. Clinics will start about 1:30 pm. Registration for the meet is $20 in advance or $25 at the door. Wives and children free. Contact: R. W. Dettmer, 2756 Connie Circle, Orange Park, FL 32065, , roscaler@ bellsouth.net 28: North Haledon, NJ Model Engineers Railroad Club of North Jersey - Annual Open House will be held November 28-30th, December 5-7, and December 12-14th, at 569 High Mountain Road. Hours will be from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm on Fridays; and from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm on Saturdays and Sundays. Admission: $5, adults; children admitted free with adult. For more information, contact: Paul Harbord, (973) before 9:00 p.m.; or visit: [ coaches (B-2) $1250 the set plus shipping. Call Dennis Bagby, 2233 N. Suree Ellen Ln, Altadena, CA FOR SALE: READ THE FIRST new railroad novel in a generation, the exciting story of the great Spirit of St. Louis train wreck on September 11, Read Smart Boys Swimming in the River Styx by Robert Phillip Bomboy. Get it at [ WANTED: Ambroid special run 50 Milw. boxcars, Hallmark comp gons, Sunset WWII emergency boxcars, PRB WWII comp gons, Lobaugh 50 reefers, WWII era boxcars what have you? Mail only. Jim Seacrest, PO Box 6397, Lincoln, NE December : Merchantville, NJ Cherry Valley Model RR Club Xmas open house at 7 Maple Ave., Merchantville. Friday nights, 12/5 & 12/12, 6 to 9 PM; Saturdays, 12/6 & 12/13, Noon to 8 PM; Sundays, 12/7 & 12/14, Noon to 6 PM. No admission but donations accepted. Info:John P. Dunn, Sr., [jdunn8888@hotmail. com]. March : Wind Gap, PA Eastern O Scalers Swap Meet Eastern O Scalers 2-Rail Swap Meet at the Plainfield Fire Hall, 6480 Sullivan Trail 9:00 a.m. 1:00 p.m. Adm. $5; (spouses & children under 14 are free), $16.00 for the first table (includes one admission) and $12.00 for each additional table. Dealer s set-up Friday evening 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Saturday morning 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. Info/reservations, SASE EOS, PO Box 1781, Bensalem PA 19020; (215) Bring an index card with your name, address etc., for $1 off your admission. Contact [eostrains@comcast.net] June : Towson, MD 2009 O Scale National Convention to be held on the campus of Towson University just north of Baltimore, Maryland. Event sponsored by Baltimore O Scalers and the Baltimore Society of Model Engineers. In addition to very comfortable trading halls (about 400 tables), convention features clinics, layout tours (June 17 through June 21), model contests and Friday (June 19th) banquet. Early set-up for dealers on June 17. Visits to B&O Transportation Museum, Baltimore Streetcar Museum and much more. Check [ often. More information available by [info@ oscaleeast.com]

69 AAA Turntables 23 Allegheny Scale Models 29 AM Hobbies 30 AMS Accucraft 64 Arttista 43 Bachmann 12 Backdrop Warehouse 30 Baldwin Forge & Machine 28 Banta Modelworks 23 Brummy s Ballast 30 BTS 16 Buffalo Creek Graphics 23 Caboose Hobbies 25 Crusader Rail Services 47 Custom Signals 32 Deichman s Depot 47 DM&M Railroad Co. 23 East Gary Car Co. 28 Gorilla Glue 47 Hackworth Model Trains 46 Irish Tracklayer 47 Just Trains 65,66,67 Keil-Line 28 LaBelle Woodworking Co. 40 Model Building Services 25 Model Tech Studios 51 MTH Electric Trains IBC Mullett River 48 NCE Corp 46 O Scale Realty 51 O Scale Trains 14 Old Pullman 64 PA Heritage Models 14 P&D Hobby Shop 11 Pecos River Brass 50 Public Delivery Track 40 Rails Unlimited 63 RGSRR Hobbies 23 Ross Custom Switches 33 San Juan Car Co. 28 Scenic Express 47 SceniKing 50 SMARTT 44 SMR Trains 64 Stevenson Preservation Lines 63 Sumpter Valley Depot 40 Suncoast Models 63 Sunset 3rd Rail BC Toy Trucker 48 Turner Model Works 47 Twin Whistle Sign & Kit 51 Valley Model Trains 40 Wasatch Model Co. 48 Weaver 25 Advertisers Index Get Real Productions 69 QSI Solutions 44 Westerm Reserve Meet 30 Golden Gate Depot IFC Raggs to Riches 14 Williams by Bachman 24 Sept/Oct 08 - O Scale Trains 69

70 Standards? Standards!? We don t need no stinkin standards! In the last six months I have examined four locomotives that did not meet certain NMRA standards. Three did not meet S-4.2 Wheels, Standard Scales. Two did not meet the S-9 Electrical standard. One did not meet S-2 for couplers. Of the four, I declined to review two because of a myriad of issues beyond mere non-conformance to NMRA standards. Does non-conformance pose a serious problem for a manufacturer? No. The three locomotives that did not meet the Wheel Standard functioned perfectly fine. The two that did not meet the Electrical Standard operated perfectly fine. The one that did not meet the Coupler Standard operated perfectly fine. Why? Because, for the most part, those locomotives will only be operated with others from the same manufacturer. Thus, as long as one is operating engines from only one manufacturer together and those engines are all consistent, then where s the problem? The problem is that O Scale is a small market and manufacturers need to sell as many units as possible. By conforming to existing standards one is assured that equipment from different manufacturers will operate together reliably. DCC is a great example of this. One should be able to use any manufacturer s decoder with any manufacturer s base unit. For the most part this is true. If I am assured that a Diesel from Manufacturer A will run with a Diesel from Manufacturer X, then both A and X are potentially going to sell more Diesels. So, what standards conformance should modelers expect? Certainly, S-4.2 for wheels (and drivers) on O Scale models that operate on two rail track. That means check gauge, flange depth, and tread width. I think S-2 for coupler height should also be expected. I ll go one step further and say that Kadee couplers are the de facto standard for O Scale standard gauge (not On3, On30, or P48), so any model made for the O Scale standard gauge market should either have provision for mounting Kadee couplers or should provide couplers that are fully compatible. All of the NMRA Standards are available online for free at [ That s a minimum. If a manufacturer isn t giving us that I think we re being short changed. The last thing I want in O Scale is a manufacturer with a Microsoft mentality who thinks standards be damned, we know what s good for you! It s why I m a Mac user. Now we get to what I d like to see as standard. I d like to see more DCC-ready locomotives. I believe that, eventually, all of O Scale will be dragged kicking and screaming into the twenty-first century and DCC will be the control system of choice. It would be nice if O Scale locomotives came with a plug for a DCC decoder. Next I d like to ban the use of visible screws with slotted or Phillips heads. Most locomotive gear was held in place with castellated nuts. These would be difficult to accurately model but hex head screws would be better than Phillips. Enough about me, what would you like to see as standard practice on O Scale models? Write to me or Mike and let us know. Miscellaneous Musings - Just when I think I ve got everything in hand, Fate comes along and knocks me upside the head with a 2x4 to remind me the Murphy s Law prevails. Once again the mailing labels had incorrect subscription expiration dates. I thought I d corrected the problem after issue #38 was mailed. Turns out I just shifted it to other issues. But, I do believe that I have corrected the problem for certain this time. It may take another issue for the correction to work its way through the system but be assured that I do have your proper expiration date in the database. - You may also recall that last issue I said we would be going to 64 pages as a cost saving measure and here we are back at 72. We had so much review material for this issue that 72 pages were needed to get it all in. Review material can go stale if it is not published in a timely manner. So, here s what I promise: we ll never put out less than 64 pages. When needed, we will bump up the page count, like we did in this issue. - In case you have not heard, Lionel is going to reproduce some of their great trains from the 1950s. They re calling them Postwar Conventional Classics. These trains will run on pure AC, no command control here. Full sets will range in cost from $415 to $610. While this may be good for Lionel s bottom line, it s a poke in the eye to Williams by Bachmann. I m also not sure it does O Scale, in general, any good either. - I read a newspaper article that claimed with fuel prices so high it no longer made economic sense to have goods manufactured overseas and then ship them to the U.S. With oil at $140 a barrel, it could be that manufacturing here at home could get restarted. Toys (and therefore trains) might be a good place to start. Of course, if you like your trains made in the U.S.A., nearly all of Weaver Models production (except for their brass and die-cast) is made right here in Pennsylvania. - I was really surprised we did not get more response to my kit building pieces. To me, kit building, kitbashing, and scratchbuilding are part and parcel of the enjoyment of model railroading. For me there is no fun in opening boxes of ready to run equipment. I want my model railroad to be a reflection of me and my tastes. I m not knockin how you all enjoy your hobby. I m just sayin how I enjoy mine. Keep Highballin 70 O Scale Trains - Sept/Oct 08

71 Premier Line Canadian Pacific Hudson Steam Engine Royalty on the Rails Die-Cast Boiler & Tender Construction Remotely Controlled Operating Coupler Operates On 2 or 3-Rail Track Under AC or DC Power Synchronized Puffing Smoke Timed To Driver Revolutions Locomotive Speed Control In Scale MPH Increments Digital Proto-Sound 2.0 Sound Effects 1:48 O Scale Proportions, Operates On O-42 Curves Canadian Pacific (Pilot Train 1939) Royal Hudson Steam Engine w/proto-sound 2.0 (Hi-Rail Wheels) $ Canadian Pacific (Pilot Train 1939) Royal Hudson Steam Engine w/proto-sound 2.0 (Scale Wheels) $ SEE IT IN ACTION ON THE WEB M.T.H.Electric Trains 7020 Columbia Gateway Drive, Columbia, MD 21046

72 NYC DREYFUSS & 20TH CENTURY LIMITED From the Collection of R. Cady Photo by John Ryan Sunset Models is Proud To Announce The All Brass NYC Dreyfuss Hudson. Coming in Fall 2008 only 70 will be produced in 2 Rail. In a coordinated effort GGD will be producing the 20th Century 1938 Train to scale in Aluminum. Since there are only going to be 70 sets of engine and cars available we suggest you call in your reservation early. The locomotive is $ and each set of 4 cars are $ S&H. There are 3 sets to choose from, but we highly recommend getting all 12 cars to have the complete train. Come Join The Fun Paint Scheme Available. 20th Century 1938 Train By GGD - Aluminum Construction Full Interior Detail, Lighted, Scale Set A: RPO/Baggage 5018 Diner Imperial Highlands Observation Manhattan Is. Set B: Dorm/Club Century Club 17-Roomette City of Albany 10-5 Cascade Dawn 13-Double Bedroom Cuyahoga County Set C: Diner Roomette City of Chicago 10-5 Cascade Glory Imperial Falls CALL TODAY! SUNSET MODELS INC. 37 South Fourth Street Campbell, CA fax to