jasond

Which NWSL part no Martin? Jason

Nice flickr albums, Johann. Even an ex-London Routemaster in there ... can't believe I typed that! Jason

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

I'm happy to be told I'm wrong/easily disappointed/living in the past, but the announcement offers only 3-rail The announcement is Atlas's quick, first response from buying at MTH's Closing Down - Traders' Sale, so there's a lot more that can come. 2-railing 3-rail stock (not locos) isn't too difficult, but replacement 2-rail wheels and couplers should at least be mentioned and have been available already from Atlas...? In the past, 2- and 3-rail versions of all Atlas rail-models have been available. Many of you will know I used to be an Atlas dealer here in the UK and I have asked Atlas questions by email, but no response.... I'll stop now Jason

And just across the road is the Pennsylvania RR Museum: https://rrmuseumpa.org/collections/roster/18451649_10158720895060574_8118861508435974716_o/ Oh, why did that come up yes there are other nice exhibits. Also the Eastern PA 2-rail O-scale Swap Meet down the road: https://oscaleinfo.com/WP/event/eastern-pa-2-rail-o-scale-train-show-and-swap-meet/ Next one's Aug 7 .... Jason

Beat me to it! Sophie collected it this week. It's 2-rail, off a downsizer's nice UP and neighbouring roads layout. Steam and diesel. Jason

Hi Pete, it's the regular jerk here. I'm getting the Weaver spares box out for Martin on Sunday. Got many bits from P&D at the Chicago meet, hope they continue with that. Jason

Unlike the UK, all(?) Class 1 RRs have to offer shippers services for their products. So you get the unit train - hoppers, tank cars, autoracks and the manifest freights, the ones we prefer, with the great mix of freight cars. Without manifest freights I think there would be far less shortlines. Jaw Tooth's another laid back, video enthusiast: My layout plan is a U-shape in the garage next and maybe a hole in the wall out into the garden next. Modelling a shortline lets me upgrade the fiddle yard at the end of one of the U's legs to a small interchange yard, with more switching needed, for northbound/southbound and a third track for inbound.

Dan, I've had good service from Highball Graphics and they do custom decals. Jason

Can't say I'm 'fond' of G&Ws corporate look, but a couple of wide black lines and a growing selection of similar corporate heralds will be easy for the decal makers ... oh, don't forget the 5-gallon Floquil Orange tin (Jason where have you been for the last 20 years?). For us modellers, RTR manufacturers paint choices are so often ... sorry, pause for a yawn ... UP, Santa Fe, Pennsy, etc and between the short line's worst - four shades of rust - and G&W-like best can come the RTR paint jobs with bits of decal sets in the take-away box: lines to be used covering road names, cab panels with the new reporting marks, etc. No time to find a good example. SMS's other B23-7 had some black blobs over the Santa Fe bits. Of course when you need to sell the loco you can wash the scraps of decal off and bring a big smile to UP, Santa Fe, Pennsy purchasers' faces. Yeah, yeah, lines, Ds, Hs and shields on LV/RDG GPs acquired by the D&H on Conrail Day almost the same. http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=5439216 Jason

The Weaver drive parts are very similar to Central Loco Works drives of old. I have spares of many of the components. They're very satisfying to work with! Jason

Thanks mdvie, must be spending too much time in the garage!

No of course I didn't get replies to either of my emails, to Atlas about would the MTH acquisitions be done in 2 and 3 rail and MTH actually about their European models tooling's destination ... oh, and happy retirement Mike, yeah right he'll be on the Whatsapp call keeping an eye on leftove... hey Jason, you're in a bit of a mood. Well Atlas did say they'd have a great announcement last Wednesday. So what was it? 7 coffees and donuts and a lemon tea will be fine?!? Back in the bloody garage please Jason (and that was the nice fairy!).

FWIW as an ex AtIas UK dealer I've emailed them about 2-rail potential, especially for locos, from all this. I'll post any news, but as a 2-railer I may not warrant any. The deal with MTH apparently includes what's currently on the shelves - MTH's China factory shelves?? DCS supplies have been passed to a soon-to-be ex-MTH employees organisation with support between them and Atlas. Their first release will be on March 24 ... next Wednesday!! But it could be just 3-rail 'in stock'. Just get back in the garage Jason and build something...! Jason

From memory the replacement NWSL wheels are the best way, but the insulated wheelsets give in to determined slight twisting to increase the back to back a bit. The driving wheel flanges are diecast/nickel-silver plated, so can be filed thinner, but that may start the plating lifting? Jason

In O-scale: if all the long (80ft) cars you run are modelled as 70ft-ers like MTH (and Lionel?) have done, you may not notice. Mixing them with scale length cars may spoil the effect for you. The couplers are the main worry. For a fixed consist you don't need Kadees, although their side-swing helps a lot (and no buffers to lock up). Fixed knuckle couplers (I've got some spare) mounted on a flat piece screwed to the floor back towards the truck king-pin may help. Jason

Dan, if it's any help Sykes (BBC TV Comedy) Season 1 Episdode 8 (1972) features a factory production line. They're decalling hoppe... no, that's not Sykes ... they're stamping washers by hand and they are doing it in time with some music playing on the old record player. Then the Production Line mgr, wanting to raise the production rate, fiddles with the old record player and makes it play faster. Any help? Jason

Excellent stuff Dave, presumably the frequency of the dangerous load movements determine where the buffer cars are likely to be kept. It's interesting how much we can learn by chance. For some reason, I was watching a film reviewing explosives the other day (!?) and, have you noticed that when there's a big bang: bits and pieces flying out, flash/fire/smoke, there's often a spherical cloud of water droplets expanding out at the same time. Water...? I've always wondered why we see it, steam is colourless. Apparently it's the shock wave from the explosion compressing any otherwise unnoticeable water vapour in the air into droplets. Hmmm, must go and boil a kettle now. Jason

Dan, you'll have seen this, but there was a pike a while ago and on one of the otherwise wasted curves was a pair of tracks underneath a scenic divide. On one side was a mine, on the other was the coal processing plant. Two hopper trains, one empties, one loads were operated, you can guess the rest. And the loads were fixed of course. One of the YT shortline vids had a lot of those big woodchip cars, clearly acquired at different times, but now mixed up; same prototype, some of them still in reasonable nick - black paint, cleanish - the others flaking light grey/creamish dirty paint. So relieved I took up O-scale early on, at least it's too big to stack the boxes in the toilet, unlike HO!! Jason

But I only drink tea

Hi Jack, what shall I do first? Freight car bits was it? Jason

So, Jordan, I've measured a Weaver nose classification lights, spent hours looking in my World's Largest Biscuit Tin, found nothing that resembles them, certainly not the PSC castings, but I have found 3 pairs of washers. They're about the right diameter 6mm with a big hole so by the time you glue'n'paint the nearest pair they'll comply with the 3ft. rule (OK, OK, for you youngsters ... the .9M rule). Don't tell me you scraped the mouldings off the end of the long hood too ... did you? Are you still at B64......? Jason

Yup Dan, no visitors so no useful comments and reactions and certainly no help ... anyone else find they work better when a fellow enthusiast is around? OK, lets sell off some bits I may never use. When's the next Meet? Oh - all cancelled. Never mind ... internet. Type a description in ... not many more to do. No don't bother with photos, interested people can always ask for one. Now where shall I put the list? Where are the Nth Am modellers here in the UK? Got any boxes and tape ready? Can you go to the Post Office for that? Ah well .... Don't waste time trying to sell stuff at your age, do some modelling. OK, I'll just get some washing on and go to the supermarket, need to guarantee some exercise, then .... What's that? Now your retired, there's more non-hobby stuff you've got to do, no avoiding it... You've got enough time to write all this rubbish. Yes, but if I was Dan's age I'd have enough energy and focus to b*****-well get on with it!!! Aaaaah...! ATB, see you soon......ish Jason

Hi Mick, celebrated(?) my 74th birthday last week, have had my jab, got nicer weather ... ready for a walk to the Post Office with your F9. It's packed, remind me what parts you may still need for the other one. Jason

Oh, and S Scale America freight cars are v nice.