Cunningham Loco & Machine Works

American, indeed! That's a German Reichsbahn Einheitslok, albeit a very impressionistic rendition thereof, if I ever saw one.

Here is a work-in-progress shot of a real hybrid, of which more information probably to follow later. I consider the identity of model locomotives to derive from the chassis, and thus consider it an ongoing rebuild of a Tyco 4-6-0. That said, it presently incorporates: the chassis thereof, body shell from a Wrenn R1 scrapped when her drivers were found to be irreparably damaged, cylinder saddle, crosshead guides and forward main rod sections from scrap Rivarossi “Casey Jones”, handbuilt brass frame extensions and crosshead guide yoke, and incidental scratchbuilt styrene components.

This ought to help you in considering how or if to to power a Monogram Hudson. Note that Monogram had a pretty tenuous understanding of how a steam locomotive goes together!

The Dublo/Wrenn Class 08 can look rather good when nicely finished. Here's one I repainted as an industrial locomotive for a future micro layout. I made no modifications save replacing the tension link couplers with Kadees. While she looks wonderful aesthetically, she nonetheless suffers from certain mechanical defects. First that which is in no way attributable to her basic design. A large part of the trouble with her running has been attributable to rust on her crankpins; this was obviated, first with penetrating oil and subsequently with lapping compound, but I do not believe it fully cured at the moment. This leads to the first problem with the design: the model is not engineered to facilitate comprehensive servicing. Crankpins are formed by rivets instead of shouldered screws; thus they and the rods to which they attach cannot be removed to be cleaned or else worked on without destroying the crankpins. Driving wheels cannot be dropped as they can be on models with separate keeper plates forming the lower portion of the axle-holes. Driving axles lack septate bearings, instead bearing directly on the main frames. Second, her side-rod transmission is built with sufficient slop as to cause some minor crankpin binding to be practically inevitable at times. This would not constitute a real defect if not for her third issue; her gear ratio, in proportion to the slow speed torque and starting voltage of her motor, is entirely inadequate. Depending on the position of her drivers, and whether the temporary crankpin bind has again occurred, she will start adequately slowly, but will presently stall. She has not sufficient low-speed motor torque to overcome the bind in her transmission. The only solution to this is to give the motor more power, but as her gear ratio is too low she then accelerates in a most un-shunter-like way. In light of these points, I do not understand what seems to me the inordinately high esteem placed on Hornby-Dublo's mechanical quality. I am sure that their engines ran (and run) pretty well as toys, but they certainly aren't the top of the line miniature machinery they have been claimed as. Indeed, even such humble latter-day model engines as the Hornby Railways Margate-edition Jinty and its mechanical derivatives have separate bearings, removable crankpins, and droppable drivers (though the "Ringfield" tender drive was no good as a scale model mechanism, though fine as a toy).

I certainly did. It happens that the linked video of the Railway Roundabout episode, which I didn't think would be particularly useful, included a shot showing precisely what I needed to see. I only realized this after posting the question, but oh, well.

I am presently occupied by making a 3D model of Harbone station. Sundry prototype photographs have been immensely useful in determining platform construction, but they have one single defect. It happens that none of them show the brickwork peculiar to the construction of the platform ends. I wonder whether anyone has good photographs or drawings showing this same feature on similar stations, or of the pertinent LNWR platform standard. Thanks immensely if you do!

The upper portion of the frame on that ALCo is neither cast nor welded, but was instead forged in one piece, a means often employed on these smaller engines. Further details forthcoming.

If you can't get to scaletrainsclub.com, never mind; I can repost all the images you like.

Those drawings are wrong; note that the air pump is connected to the reverse rod, and that the artist failed to ascertain that the O class was a cross-compound. Here is some better Russian (and, for what it's worth, Ukrainian, Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Moldovan, Armenian, etc.) material. Attached are some proper scale drawings from the link (it's not as if we need to respect Russian copyright law by now...)

Rather a nice example of what one can do with an outdoor photo diorama. It's a pity the weathering on the pannier's been fouled up, and that the smoke effect's rather unconvincing. I'll pass our artist on that obvious HO scale American freight car, for that's good weathering, and he obviously starting out with what models he could find cheap. Probably just got into railway modeling from Warhammer, and I can't fault him for that. (Courtesy Wikimedia Commons)

Steam locomotive models with solenoids in the cylinders instead of a great lump of motor drivetrain protruding into what should be "daylight".

Has anyone good detail photographs (or, less likely, drawings) of the modifications (from the original Stanier design) to the War Department 8F's?

Nice ballasting and scenicking on that diorama; you can't hardly spot the edge beyond the fence. But did they have to spoil it with that pristine grounded van?