I have been going through my locomotives and getting them ready to run on the layout.  I have a Walthers SW1 that has an intermittent short in the motor.  I spent several hours going through all of the pickups and wiring making sure it was the motor.  When you first put power to it it shows a short and then a couple seconds later it will run.  Naturally I can't convert it to DCC like that.

It seems the little Mashima can motors are out of production.  Has anyone repowered one of these little engines?

I've been thinking about using spare parts from a few nonworking steam locomotives to build a articulated mallet. I have 2 or 3 0-6-0 that dont run and was thinking about building a 0-6-6-0. What would I possibly need to do to make this work??? Has anyone ever done something like this?

Got this today from a reader ...

In the Ken Patterson Column in your Oct Issue, Whats New, page 6 of the article, the blue diesel I believe is an Athearn Genesis unit and I have 2 of these units with the same cab number 1201.

My question is: how to change the number? I don't know if it is a decal or printed on the cab? Any advice would be appreciated.

Thank you for your excellent publication. It's a great resource for the hobby.

Robie MacDonald

I saw the other discussion regarding diesels that everyone would like to see produced. So I made this one for steam people too. Tell what you would want to see (Excluding brass) produced, reissued, or would just like to have. 

As for me, I have several, but I would like to see BLI produce a rendition of the PRR S2 6-4-4-6 Steamer. it would be difficult to fit on 22" radius curves. Other than that, I would love to see an Empire State Express Set (non-mth) or a reissue of Rivarossi's blue goose. Tell me what you think.