jasond

Pity non of the State decision makers need anything useful to do with their time just now!

But Andy, steel posts to raise the track for the gophers to go under and deter the termites. Or old British warship cannons from your local antique center. Or smear the steel with Marmite. Only Brits lick that. Anyway, house move over, garage floor covered with T&G 3/4" flooring, most pictures up on the walls, excellent curry house, kebab house, homely Crown Inn ... Marstons 6X. Well that was last weekend when my first visitors tried the new place out, since then the govt has said I have to stay indoors - that's why I'm waffling on. Lidl had Corona beer on special for some reason, so I got a box, just need to remember to drink a bottle daily with evening meal apparently. No, the garage is not adequately insulated, the stuff's arriving tomorrow/Sat (damn so is the tele!). When that's done, the removal men can bring the important stuff and ... and ... you've guessed...! Pete, I'm too old to emigrate, but which Meet are you maybe thinking of going to next year? Jason

Where's everyone gone? Well, short answer is Westbury. Longer answer is house-move over, garage needs 'converting', garden needs O-scale railroad, projects need finishing (oh ... some need starting), O-scale web stuff needs revitalising (Fb:American O-scale in the UK or just email stuff to ukoscale@groups.io Kitchen and bathroom can wait. Today is a great start: Wickes confirmed bringing garage stuff tomorrow, had to take the car to walking-distance-Lidl for massive kick-off food shop, discovered Davies in Westbury, the sort of DIY shop of old that sells ... er, everything and had a call yesterday from another seasoned O-scaler ... "Jason I 'd like to try a bit of downsizing...." Damn, forgot to get a couple of boxes of men's tissues for when I start opening my old projects packing boxes. Jason

Well I was going to try and blather on about the great satisfaction of modelling Nth Am stuff, but all I need to say is Delaware & Hudson in the 70s plus a bit. Who said 'Why?' Well Alco/EMD/GE/Baldwin/run-thru power, 4-car passenger trains with a dome car/smooth-side/clerestory roof/ business car, freight block trains of paper/hvy-duty flats from GE's transformenr factory, etc, etc.... Mind you I might have to get a Dapol 66 end of next year for the mantelpiece UK scene (real thing MADE IN CANADA though). All made easier by starting American O-scale in 1969, visiting family in NYC and Montreal (D&H Adirondack), having Bernie Victor near by. House move happening right now to Westbury, Wilts and garden crying out for PA 5-chime horn sounds. Jason

Just don't leave those Beeps all together at night - there'll be more in the morning. Oh, hang on, I might be thinking of Gremlins! The Atlas switchers suffer from scaling up. They end up the same width and height as standard road diesels and should be noticeably smaller. If you don't know what I'm on about the Rivarossi 4-wheelers do it too, only worse. There was an article a few years ago with a pic of a 2'6" gauge diesel, pretty much identical to the Rivarossi sold as standard gauge O-scale (40" wheels, etc). Nearholmer's right about GE44/45/70-tonners. Of course they've been done in brass and Lionel have done them in plastic, just needing 'converting' to 2-rail so ... I know leave the Beeps all together again tonight! Seriously though, if you see a RYM GE switcher (Rich Yoder Models) go into Right Price model! I have a 45-tonner ... lovely stuff. Moving house soon. New layout should start almost immediately. OK, OK, full of funny thoughts today.... Jason

Dan, never thought I'd hear myself saying this, but Warley's too good to miss this year. Piedmont Blues and Arry Dodd from up in Scotland is bringing his layout too. Jason

We could hear the howitzers indoors here. Still haven't seen a tank that you'd be scared of yet! Reading tomorrow ... just repeat after me "no more projects ... no more proje...." Jason

Sorry, only my usual sort of post to congratulate Northroader on his creativity! Let me know if you unexpectedly need some freight and/or passenger car bits, etc if you run out next time you build. Oh, did I miss out loco and track bits? Yes cheap trucks (or expensive) and some Kadees, long time till the next Winchester Meet. Non-public (Closed) Facebook group American O-Scale in the UK and email group ukoscale in operation. I'll remind them about this and other Nth Am O-scale topics on RMWeb and Western Thunder. Any others I really should mention? OK ogaugerr.com's 2-rail page and ....? Jason

Yes, as we all(?) learned in English lessons 'King Charles walked and talked half an hour after his head was cut off'.

There's a lot of discussion on the Gauge O Guild webite's forum about ... what's it for and how do we get new members? The Guild's main event of the year at Telford could be held next to Warley, a 2-day show at the National Exhibition Centre near Birmingham and possibly attract new members from OO and N-scale. It'll be interesting to see if the St Louis O-scale Meet attracts visitors from the NMRA next door. Must admit I had a very quick look at the blurb, but cost, especially(?) finding accommodation put me off. Jason

Seem to remember Capitals (we) used to meet in Essex Road Library when I joined and hosted the NMRA National Convention - 1970? Then we moved down to Westminster, by which time I'd been forced to put my hand in Bernie's O-scale biscuit tin (seriously!) and that was it. First purchase was a US Hobbies Catalog, then an All-Nation NW2 diesel switcher kit ... I still have them both . The US Hobbies UP 2-8-0 that followed got traded with another O-scaler for a USH SD45. Yes, still got it, now in D&H livery and the 2-8-0 is back for resale! Next 6 or 7 paragraphs omitted you'll be pleased to hear, so quick finish ... coming up to 50 years in Nth Am O-scale, ALL due to Bernie. Hi Paul, hi Dave.... Jason

I'm feeling a bit guilty 'cos Jacky's taking the blame for my unusual outburst. I know I managed to avoid criticising P48 directly, but here in the UK there are only 3 x P48ers and one of those is selling up because he's even older than me. Modelling P48, like On2 and maybe S-scale here in the UK can be a lonely path which for some modellers makes it ideal. Anyway Ow5, original O-scale can be run on local British clubs' O-gauge test track, your mates British layout and occasionally it's on sale in the odd shop or at an exhibition. As the final excuse reason, I've been modelling Ow5 for too long to change all those wheelsets. Jason

Thanks Tony Koester. So if you model in O, before you do anything you have to find out about O and decide whether Ow5 or P48 is for you. And it's so big you'll have the wife moaning and you'll need donations to make it affordable (even if you can already afford a three seasons porch. OK doc, I'll sign-off and take my pills) but not before I tell 'em all that you can pick up 2nd-hand O-scale stuff cheaper than new OO/HO over here and it's big enough to make all the extra detail you've added visible and the layout doesn't need to be twice as big as HO to have the same fun OR MORE no I don't know what I did with the pill-jar top, just get me another cuppa and no-one gets hurt..............

Just make sure your mouse has a central wheel between the push-pads, then you will admit the ads must have been there, but not remember whose it was. But seriously it even works with Fb for me. OK, if you've already got a central wheel we urgently need someone with a better idea! Jason

Hi Gregory, haven't looked at Menards site, but this came off e**y after searching for ... er, Menards! https://www.ebay.com/str/selkirktrains/MENARDS-/_i.html?_storecat=30042793011 He looks like an established business with good prices and international shipping offered (via Global Shipping Program). Shipping for one item is more than the item, but he says he'll talk about shipping for a big order. Don't be too British - he'll listen to your requirements and then readily answer your question "What's the bulk shipping on all of that?" OK, yes it does mean the more you order, the stronger your bulk shipping request will be! Anybody got anything to say about Global Shipping? As an O-scale 2-rail trader I used US Postal Service (USPS) where offered and my cost was price of item(s) plus USPS cost then VAT on the sum of the two (no import duty currently on model trains). Parcelforce were usually the handler over here (Post Office for small items) and charged £8 for doing the sums and notifying arrival and choice of home delivery/depot collection. Let us know who you eventually use and how it goes. Can't remember who it was, but one of the east coast stores was happy to do business because England was nearer than California! Jason

Good progress ... if you take the base-plates of the trucks off you should be able to lift out, inspect and clean all the wheelsets and their gears. If there's a broken gear, let me know which axle. Must admit if I get a say in choosing any forthcoming grand-daughter's name, I would mention Savannah! Yes, I know, even the daughters-in-law would be able to guess by now how it got my vote Hmmm ... twins ... Atlanta ...? There is the tale of the twins born on a D&H passenger train who ended up with middle names Delaware and Hudson! And of course the girl giving birth on the slow train being scolded for boarding the train so pregnant, retorting "When I boarded this train I wasn't pregnant!" Jason

Yes October 19th - NEXT SATURDAY!! http://www.winchesterogaugemeet.co.uk/ OK, most of you know, it's O-SCALE!! Layouts, test-track, traders, bring'n'buy, societies ... and ... ALL-DAY BREAKFAST Jason

No electrics are used by Muppets ... they're hand operated -boom -boom Anyway, no abrasives on the wheels till nothing else works ... methylated spirits, lighter fuel, iso-propyl alcohol, acetone ... go steady, window open, etc. If the body's off (6 screws and some fiddling with handrails, etc) try turning each flywheel to see if either of the trucks is jammed, touch each motor with the power leads to see if a motor is dead and if it's wired in series it will stop the other one turning. These locos were originally supplied with the motors in parallel, but you knew that ... and that's why removing one motor still gives you a runnable loco without changing any wiring (series mod would need the removed motor's leads being joined). Er ... that's enough, early night! Jason

Hi Dan Good suggestions already and: GP35: if all else fails take the motor out of the cab-end truck for less amps and space for cab detail (OK for a man in a hurry(?) cab detail is a tease). RS3s: is that really rust on the wheels? Remind me, are they Atlas, Weaver, ... er, Kemtron, other trucks? NWSL replacement wheels? Glass-fibre pen and thin(nest) oil. I ask about the makes 'cos I may still have a spare Weaver wheelset or two. Others: paint and details - you're on your own! I still have a box of unwanted decals I'll be taking to Winchester ... OK, Leigh? Oh, that's April. Talking of wheels, Peartree make a nice UK 7mm 3'1" steel wheelset, near as dammit Nth Am 40" diesel wheel, on 3/16" axle. Jason

Sad news, Ron Sebastian owner of the north Chicago all-scales hobbystore, Des Plaines Hobbies, passed away unexpectedly this week. Ron was always working on ideas and activities for making our hobby more fulfilling and fun. Enough from me, there are many other goodbyes on other forums and social media groups. Jason

No - Ron has no plans to run them at present. Worth trying other O-scale shops for O Scale America or Plano versions Jason

Des Plaines Hobbies acquired the Plano O-scale roof walks made for 40ft boxcars, 2- and 4-bay covd hoppers and they are nice. A few years back DPH had sold out and they're not on the current 'in-stock' list if that's up-to-date. They're certainly worth doing if only because they're the first thing we see looking down on our models! I'll send DPH an email. Jason

There I was, wasting money on a second-hand book of modern British wagons to keep in the toilet ... to read that is, when I happened across the Modern Imag ... oh you know MIOG exhibition coming up in November and a mention of 'Acadia Pensilvania' American Freight Layout, which roughly translated (well Pensilvania is Pennsylvania in French ... no really!) I worked out was Dave's (Britannia 70000) Arcadia, Pennsylvania layout on page 15 here. So American O layout at the MIOG exhibition: http://www.modernimageogauge.co.uk/exhibition.html Where's Rawtenstall? OK, OK, you Northeners, I know, it's one end of the East Lancs Rly and about a 1/2-mile fromy partner's nephew with the spare bedroom Oh, I'm hoping Dave will have his RS1 there (phew, back on topic). Jason

Simon, as you know there's no difference to speak of between a model RS32 and RS36, just the label on the box ... sooooooo... painting it D&H Lightning Stripe would be more than acceptable Jason

Nearholmer's mention of RGB light rope reminds me of a school-friend (yes youngsters, it is easier remembering old stuff as you get older!) going on holiday in Eire and sending me 3 postcards, identical apart from their overall colour: yellow, red and dark blue. In small print on the writing side were words like 'Ballynice in the day, Ballynice at sunset and Ballynice at ni... well you can guess the rest can't you! Jason