Just over 2 years ago, my home was involved in a fire. The train room was not burned, and the insurance company compensated me generously for smoke and soot damage to the train room. I was able to recover many of the structures with Simple Green and De-Solv-It, but now that I am in the process of constructing a new layout, I find that only 2 or 3 of 27 locomotives will still run. I can't find any information on the internet about overhauling a smoke-damaged locomotive. I would even consider taking or mailing some of them to a repair shop. Any suggestions?

The 85 ton is available for printing through Shapeways. It is amazing to see what others are designing from Z, N, TT, HO, S, O and possibly other scales. I am off for a visit with family in southern Manitoba so won't be working on any of my projects for awhile. Hopefully I can pick up some items I need and maybe my back ordered pantographs will get shipped by then.
Until later.

Tim Schwartz

My updated 3D print of the 85 ton steeple cab arrived this week. All my previous print flaws were corrected, and additions printed as well.

Generally you can't tell much for differences from this shot, but the big difference is the beefed up truck .

Yuma, Arizona, is about 200 miles from hobby shops in Phoenix, Tucson or San Diego and has dropped from it's winter high of 150,000 population to the summer (year round) hardy souls of about 80,000.  Our little club, Rail Roadrunners of Yuma, is down to Marvin and me after having our 2 regular snowbirds, Ron R. and Bobber Gibbs of On30 Conspiracy bail after the first 100 degree day.  Come November we hope to draw a few more birds.