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jasond

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Everything posted by jasond

  1. When I was young and energetic, I was importing/selling Weaver, Intermountain (yep, that long ago) and anything else O-scale 2-rail I came across. Just for a dare I called Atlas in the late '90s and asked to be a dealer. It worked and I persevered for about 15 years. I only imported 2-rail, but they didn't seem to mind. I keep asking if anyone would like an internet site name and brain dump to carry on with the best kept secret in railroad modelling: 2-rail, finescale, 1:48. Yes I've even got some P48 stuff for Eccentric Rebellion demonstrators. Anyway, Winchester Meet on Oct 23, Saturday after next, tables of 2nd-hand O-scale, locos and stock, parts, etc. Jason
  2. Some reasonable 3-rail models do get painted strangely to maximise income, but I have to admit I model railroads and don't play trai MTH made some nice 3-rail models that only need new wheels, KD couplers and ...? My MTH 2-bay Airslide is off the production line in BN green Atlas don't appear to have any active O-scale dealers in the UK so you're right to consider these themed announcements, but FWIW my reaction is 'Don't bother'! BTW Lionel make the nicest high-volume O-scale PS-1 boxcar! The Rock Island version I picked up, for a repaint into D&H, is still in nice Rock paint. Jason
  3. O-scale is so easy.... 40ft boxcar @ 1/4":1ft = 10" + a couple of inches for KDs and wriggle-room = 12". Gons are the same length or longer and with a sensible choice of prototype, hoppers (2-bay) and tankcars (8K-gallon) are shorter, but you've done HO, you know all this! Flat-bottom rail - code 100 rescued from old HO scrap works fine for sidings with HO spikes. The NMRA British Region got me a useful track gauge. Jason
  4. Just an idle thought Kevin. When I started in O, I went to Bernie Victor's shop in his Dad's record store in Islington market. I wanted to model the D&H, but there weren't any appropriate diesels that I could find back then (no internet, etc). I wanted an Alco RS3 all purpose loco, but settled for an EMD NW-2 switcher (All-Nation kit). There's a choice of RS3s these days, so I'm happy, but one of my early thoughts was to sell the NW-2 when I found the RS3. Much like you can do to a stand-in loco when you find a 44-tonner. Never happened for my NW-2, it's currently on the RIP track having had a can motor fitted (OK, OK, a few years ago), now waiting for an update to it's old whitemetal body and respray - currently thinking the NYO&W colours chosen by a privately-owned leaser. Too fond of it to let it go, did a great job cutting al those cab windows in the w/m frames... aaah, O-scale! Jason
  5. How quickly do you want to be modelling Nth Am 2-rail O-scale? Converting a 3-rail loco can take time. If you're in the South/Midlands come to the Winchester Meet at the end of October, there can be some choices. If you're too far from Winchester, what other switchers might you like? Atlas SW (2-rail have been run), Lionel S2 (3-rail conversions need 2-rail and O-scale 40" geared wheelsets are easier to get than 33" like 44-tonners), RYM (Rich Yoder Models) brass RTR - good models, but much harder to find/more expensive. UK retailers talking O-scale either mean "we can willingly try to get it to order from the US" or "we have 2nd-hand 2-rail now". Anoraks Anonymous and Ellis Clark Trains have both advertised Nth Am 2-rail O-scale recently and even though I stopped importing 2-rail O-scale some years ago I'll have some tables at Winchester. If you'd like to test me on paragraph 2 above, post more here, or PM me for specifics/phone number for a chat. Jason
  6. Hang on Jordan, I'll just get the violin music going.... Actually I had a great Summer holiday! Went up to Morecambe where I thought I'd retired to(!) in the mid-noughties. but...! Stopped near Chester for a Llanbedr Meet and Zoom call to Nth Am, went on to Preston for a visit to Ribblehead Viaduct (2 psgr locals and 1 frt) and evening visit to the O gauge club. Continued to Morecambe for a visit to the club and seeing old friends. When I moved down south I left some stock behind for American days, but, sadly, most of the visitors I used to see have gone to the roundhouse in the sky so I collected my old stock. Walked along Morecambe Prom. Had breakfast with Mick, my guitarist friend, and a view of the Lakes across the Bay. Revisited Matt's Open Mic night at the Golden Lion in Lancaster and played the drums for the first time in 9 years, Love Potion No.9 is still a classic ... but when I kissed that cop down on 34th and Vine, he broke my little bottle of ... Love Potion Number 9 ... what do you call the guy who hangs out backstage with the musicians?? The drummer Caught up with wider family, B-i-L Doug's 88 and living in the North has done him proud. Now I've remembered my first meeting with S-i-L Bren and Doug at a short stay in the Lakes when I volunteered to choose the wine, "Eeee Jason didn't know yer a wine connwuzza!" OK, OK that list. Why aren't all American O-scalers in the UK on one site, not spread out 'cos.... I've got a new phone on order, my current one makes it impossible to take pics, I've registered a web name, but so many website formats on offer are just ways to show clever designs, I just want tables of train data and pics. Don't forget, as you get older and youngsters offer you more and more choices, it gets harder to choose one, let alone a sensible one. Strewth, have I written all this? Need tea........................ Jason ...t 23 Winchester Meet Oct 23 Winchester Meet Oct 23 Winchester Meet Oct 23 Winchester Meet Oct 23 Winchest...
  7. Doesn't the day job expose you to the risk of big expanded foam? Or get the wife some new equpt for the kitchen, eat even better and save the packaging! Or slice some of the wood pieces lengthwise to lighten the load and give useful wood fo... (cont on pg.94) Jason
  8. Don't know about suitable, Phil, but ...: http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=437298 Found this in the Rebuilt EMD section on rrpic.... I'm sure I've seen an SD35 on one of the Youtube shortline sites, but didn't make notes 'cos the D&H never had any ! Could have been one of the IL/IN lines you mention. Jason
  9. I've just received two O-scale lists from Norm's O-Scale in the US, shop stock and an estate sale. If you'd like me to email you copies please let me know. I'm going to be at the NMRA British Region meet at the Belfry Hotel, Milton Common near Oxford (A40 Jct 7) this Saturday 31st Jul. This is my first 'trader' outing since Oct 2019, so I hope that sandwich I left in the couplers and trucks box is still yummy. Jason
  10. Excellent nudge to the SDL39 side-on pic, thanks pH. Quality Sth Am pics by Alejandro ... wow, nurse, another tea over here. Jason
  11. Atlas first shipped the GP35 in question 15 years ago and offered it for us 2-railers as straight DC, with a version of Lionel TMCC(!) for sound and dummy (bring back dummy and let us 2-railers use 3-rail manufacturers OK bits!!!). The previous owner DCCed it, the option wasn't available out of the factory. I operated on his layout (DCC, some sound, car cards operation) and it all worked well. I have to admit I was jealous, even though it was mid-west UP! Jason
  12. Good luck with your move. Jay Criswell is a cool supporter of 2-rail as you have found: http://www.right-o-way.us/ Jason
  13. Will do Mike. American 2-rail O-scale has been my prime mover for over 45 years, so your comment "having to let stuff go" means I may have to look the steel frame chair and spotlight out? Not unreasonably, Sophie at Anor Anon didn't check the carpet under the layout for bits we might find useful, so a visit is in plan. But seriously(!), I used to trade in O and import, so if you're building/enlarging a layout for the GP35 ask if you get stuck again or I'll have to actually produce a list Jason ps to all: Atlas have announced a tri-level autorack - 2-rail, true O-scale, GUESS: about £150 landed. Anyone else interested so we possibly could save a bit on shipping therefore VAT?
  14. Mike One enjoyable phone-call later: it's a Zimo MX69S. Turns out the documentation is in a ring-binder in the hot, vacated of RTR, but not quite empty layout room. He regrets it even at 86yo. http://www.zimo.at/web2010/products/mx66_EN.htm Jason
  15. Mike By any chance did you get this from Anoraks Anon recently? No catch, but if 'yes' I may know the previous owner. Jason
  16. This is a relevant YT vid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PQaFZkQYsU Nope, I didn't say "good" or "bad", just "but... but... but..., yeah, another tea please." But it seems a good length/cross-section and the cab windows aren't as bad as Lionel. C'mon Jason WDYE, it's 3-rail. Yes, but scale length freight cars (plenty of <40ft prototypes) next - might just need 2-rail wheels? Who said louvres - it's only a test prototype.
  17. Dammit James, the juices from my memory cells are dripping on the keyboard. One of my cousins lived within a stroll of Menlo Park Station on the commuter line into SF. Upstairs, hearing the Fairbanks Morse Trainmaster (H24-66) at San Mateo station stop blast its horns to wake up the crossing dozing in the sun, then FM H12-44 switchers lining passenger cars up at 3rd (Oct '74) and Townsend, not forgetting switching in Portola(?) freight yard. Had breakfast at San Mateo one morning ... pancakes and maple syrple ... waiter let me off only going for a short stack. Couldn't finish even that! Probably the crispy bacon and eggs over light filled me up. Wow, keyboard tastes almost as good as the real thing...!
  18. Totally agree. Jarrett Haedrich, Atlas's Chief Operating Officer, has a video about the MTH acquisitions. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06oplKK84tg Us 2-railers need to remind him about the better things in life. Most of the ex-MTH freight cars are good or very good. My definition of very good is just needing 2-rail trucks and couplers ... well Atlas have been doing that long enough. The 50ft high cube boxcars Jordan mentioned and 50ft Airslides are among the first from Atlas, scale size and metal handgrabs these days. The locos are more of a challenge and us 2-railers need to make sure Atlas know we are waiting. The GE 44-tonner would be a good start for micro-layouts (what we tell inquisitive HOers is the way to scratch that O-scale itch). So let's all send Jarrett an email Jason ps: OK I'll mention the Autorack. 2-rail offfered straight away, data from their HO project, newly-tooled trucks with the correct 28" wheels, rotating r/b journals, ...! Yeah, yeah, my usual Atlas optimism right at the front there. A beauty.
  19. My first reactions to the rolling stock: Autorack - had to wipe my chin then! The Lionel ones are lovely too, but you don't have to change the wheels on the Atlas and they look like 28" wheels or they wouldn't have had to say 'new tooling'. True 'up there' Atlas! The MTH high ...(sorry had to wipe my chin again) cube 50ft boxcar and the Airslide hopper are nice, still got the MTH version of the hopper, the boxcar was eased, finger-by-finger, out of my grasp down the club up in Morecambe. Trucks/couplers job. Lionel's version of the PS-1 40ft boxcar is still my fav (the ends), the 2-bay hoppers?, need to see one and the beer tankers? Well, they're promising a special price on a set of 8. A bottle of each brand might have been better, but I suppose 3-rail is for kids The diesels are 3-rail. If all us 2-railers shout loud enough Atlas may do the obvious upgrades, but not just a wheels/coupler fix. They'll know.... Jason
  20. Aaaah flares, 'I Was Lord Kitchener's Valet' down the King's Road, Chelsea ... ex-Navy flared trousers. As the retired sailor said in his letter to the Daily Mirror, "I could take two paces forward and no-one knew I'd moved!" Jason
  21. Yes, I'm sure Atlas are just doing this run for ... er, oh yes ... children ...? Their 3-rail frt cars are usually just wheelsets and couplers away from being excellent for us 2-railers. WARNING - 3-rail only - would make a good sticker for so many US hobby shops. Jason
  22. Yes, that's the type with the most forgiving wheel profile (145). I have the original worm-wheel gear for a fiver, inc. postage, but it needs fitting. The NWSL set of 4 is probably nicer to look at, but add on the shipping. Jason
  23. Nice flickr albums, Johann. Even an ex-London Routemaster in there ... can't believe I typed that! Jason
  24. Yes, you're right ... 20 years ago Atlas always brought smiles to us O-scalers faces - even us oldies. MTH had all those Pacifics being wired up in China and Atlas may have been offered the tooling for the psgr cars really cheap. A stand-alone catalogue is good news. 2-rail growth? Yes, right again, in the last century InterMountain started with (nearly) shake-the-box O-scale 1930s frt cars. Even I didn't want any of their chosen prototypes! Anyway, Anoraks Anonymous will be making us all more cheerful soon. Jason
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