Locos and rolling stock
Cat Model 12 Grader and IH TD15 Tractor on flat cars
Finally took some time away from the railroad, and got a couple of open top loads complete. Inspiration for deck weathering from a "Model Railroader" article by Paul Dolkos, and blocking from a "Model Railroader" article by Mont Switzer. The blocking pattern is per the "AAR Section 3 Rules Covering the Loading of Road Grading, Road Making, and Farm Equipment Machinery on Open Top Cars", 1960 version.
SOU RR Hopper kit bash / Model kit bash
In the 60s Southern cement customers wanted to increase their amount being delivered from 70T to 100T. Southern didn't have any 100T cars, so they made their own from their 70T cars. They added several inches to the top, 100T trucks, with truck mounted brakes, rebuilt the ends and added bracing. I used two Bowser 70T kits, brass ends, detailed the outlets and top. Each batch of cars were a bit different from each other.
HO Tinplate
So, I had a funny thought the other day.
You all know of the tinplate classics from Lionel in the early 1900’s and depression era leading up to WWII. As most are aware, MTH makes modern reproductions of the models in both O Gauge and Standard Gauge. What if MTH were to scale these reproductions to HO? I think that tinplate is beautiful and I would love to have an operating example on my HO layout. I know this is purely hypothetical, but what do you guys think?
Brass steam locomotive drivers slipping out of quarter, suggestions?
I am working on repairing a brass Hudson, the drive wheels slip on their axles, causing the mechanism to bind.
Any suggestions on what to do to fix this?
Thanks, Skoti.
removing road number
i need to remove just the first digit of a road number without removing the paint. whats the best technique to use it is on an atlas car
Thank you
Need Help with very old Blue Box Athearn SD-40P Locomtoive Trucks
I have a couple of old Athearn Blue Box SD-40P locomotives with "frozen" trucks. They appear to be mechanically jammed somehow and I can't remove them from the chassis to look inside them. These seem to be models built before the 1980s as they have a construction I never saw in any of the models I bought from the early 1980s to the end of the Blue Box models. They have a metal "snap ring" on the top. I thought removing it would allow me to take the trucks apart, well it didn't.
N Scale coupler conversion question
I have the Kato 1988 Orient Express in N Scale. I am having a hard time determining what coupler I can use to convert from the Rapido style ones it came with. Can anyone provide any help for what knuckle coupler I can use to replace on Kato 5154-1D trucks?
Arkansas & Missouri ALCO C420
Although I am a Missouri Pacific model railroader I have always been a fan of the short-line railroad “Arkansas & Missouri” that runs between Fort Smith, Arkansas and Monett, Missouri. I thought it would be fun to model one of their ALCO C420s. (Early version before safety stripes and ditch lights were added in the mid-90s)
Light pipes and LEDs
I have a Kato RS-1 and a Kato/Atlas GP7 which have TCS A4X decoders. I want to install LED lighting and could use some suggestions on how to tap into the light pipes.
Do I cut them back and drill a recess into the end to accept the LED? Can I drill a hole into the underside of the light pipe and insert the LED there? Should I paint the clear plastic pipe, and should I use black, silver, or something else? Having lighted number boards is not important.
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