Strasburg O Scale Show – April 2025

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The Strasburg O Scale Show was held yesterday, the show was a good one. There was very good attendance by both table holders and the show attendees. I didn’t get much time to walk through the show myself, my tables kept me busy during the day.

I did see some models of interest for the Reading modeler. The Reading LOD below was kitbashed from what looked like a Weaver PS-2. While not having any rivets it was nicely done and had the feel of the car.

There was also some modern Reading in Green and Yellow across the isle from our table. Also found in the room were a set of the Weaver Crusader cars and a set of the SGL Reading passenger cars in the engine room.

There were plenty of fine looking models at the show. Lots of brass, lots of plastic, and tons of kits.

This was a very good sign. Three modelers talking towards the end of the show. Every one of them carrying their purchases for the day.

Jim Musser brought some of his models to the show me and to discuss them. It was great to see them in person. Below Jim (on the right) is discussing with Chris Crane a 3D Print of a Long Island boxcab. This started as an N Scale file, Jim resized the file and this was just a test print to see how the detail would hold up being upsized.

Jim also brought a few other models that he scratchbuilt. This little switcher is battery powered, with sound and is just a fantastic model. He turned the locomotive on, set it down on the table and it sat there idling while we spoke.

Behind the locomotive in the above image were a pair of scratchbuilt PRR Ore Jennies painted up PC. These were scratchbuilt from laser-cut acrylic sheets.

You have to love the size difference between the G39 on the left and the G38 on the right.

The G38 was the first class of Ore Jennies on the PRR, they were shorter and had the steam ports on the side. This was a fine looking model.

One last model was also scratchbuilt from laser-cut acrylic sheets. The EL Caboose of a former Erie prototype.

On our tables, in addition to my own models, I was selling some cars from John Dunn’s collection. At the end of the show I was talking with John Dunn, Jr. about the show. He mentioned that he was hoping to have sold a set of PRR Maintenance of Way Cars. He had them in the boxes at his table and said that weren’t getting much interest. I told him to bring them over and we would unbox them and put them on the table.

They were built by Al Small from resin castings. We had seven cars, six were PRR XL cars and one X23. They only lasted on the table for 10 minutes.

As I mentioned in the beginning, it was a good show. It was well attended. I sold a ton of stuff off the table for both John Dunn’s family and myself. I managed to come home with some new-to-me models. More importantly, I had a great time talking with different folks, sharing conversations about modeling and what was happening in their lives since I last saw them.

Chicago Show 2025 – Wrap-up

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The 2025 March O Scale Meet in Chicago was fantastic! There were tons of nice models calling my wallet. I had a great time, sold some of my surplus models and brought home some new-to-me models.

Here are a few more images of the models that were on the tables at the show.

I wanted to buy this nicely built MKT boxcar, but the table holder was nowhere to be found. I circled back many times on Sunday and never saw them.

These three RS-3 were built up from Kemtron kits. They were fantastic! They got a lot of attention during the show. What I thought was as nicer than the models was the gentleman behind the tables who built them, Richard Rusnak.

That brings up the thought that the show was not all about the models. It’s about the people and the models. Like Rob Adams and his son John.

Once all the models were packed in the car it was time to think about the ride home. I did split the drive home in two on the return trip.

Funny thing, I sold a good portion of what I brought to the show, but the car seemed to have just as many models in it going home, maybe more than what I had brought out with me.

Chicago Show 2025 – Contest Models

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One thing I’m not a fan of about the model displays is the entry form. It doesn’t tell who the modeler is. That’s important to me. I’d like to know who is doing the modeling. But in a contest I guess they don’t want names known.

This first model of the Blackwood Pickle Factory is Attalee Taylor’s model. You might remember the photo of Attalee looking over one of the cars displayed from the 2019 Chicago Show post. Check out the last image on the post.

Some very nice structures next.

This next bridge model was impressive! It was also amazing that it could be transported to the show.

Now let’s wrap this up with some locomotives, freight cars, a traction model and a caboose.

Chicago Show 2025 – Manufactures / Importers News

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One of the best sites to see at the show was Kadee displaying and selling products at the show. Traffic was steady in front of their table, every time I went by they had guys buying, asking questions and generally checking out their products. We need more manufacturers in O Scale 2-rail and we need them coming out to our major show of the year to meet us at our best.

Next up, some offerings from Atlas O Scale being displayed on Bob Lavezzi’s tables. Mostly modern offerings and a re-release of the former Weaver War Emergency 52′ Gondolas. Atlas O is very good at decorating their cars.

This was a photo of what Rich Yoder brought of his imported truck line. Only a few left.

No, I won’t talk about MMW. Except to say, he was at the show. Until he ACTUALLY imports anything more than sample models, I won’t consider that company to be an importer. Scammer maybe? Thankfully I was not suckered into making deposits to him for models that are more than 10 years “in-production.”

Next up will be the models from the contest display and some more from the tables.

Chicago Show 2025 – What’s on the tables?

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Well the Thursday before the Chicago O Scale show was a travel day for me. As the image above shows, a twelve hour drive. Thankfully it was uneventful until the last 60 or so miles. Then it was rush hour in the Chicago area. Not fun.

But this was a welcome sight. Next day started out simple enough. Set up started around 1 pm. and the unpacking started for everyone.

Lots of things showed up on the tables at this show. This really is THE BEST O Scale 2-rail show of the year. Here are some highlights.

Below we have a simple set up, one USH hobbies hopper, 5 Pacific Limited cars and 5 Robert Parri cars. And just so you know, not all of them sold over the weekend.

The above image was hard on me. Those Key B&O E units looked great. The ABA set was nicely priced. I’m glad these went to a good home.

Below were some of the models from John Dunn’s collection. I know that they moved a lot of his models at the show.

The show is not all about brass models, some tables it’s fun to watch the models get unboxed. Here Jim Zwernemann is unboxing a beautifully built Chock Ultra Scale Northern Pacific Reefer with custom made brass trucks.

Next was a Rails Unlimited SFRD reefer that Jim reworked the walkways and added many extra parts. He did a great job of building a fine model.

Jim also put out on his table a LV gondola that was scratchbuilt by Jim Hickey. I remember seeing photos of the car on the Proto48 website 20+ years ago. It still looked great!

This next scene made me laugh when I walked past it. Precision Scale imported a PRR H27 which was the only offset hopper car the PRR owned. It was a one car class. One car compared to the 40k+ cars of the H21 classes. I always said to myself what is the likelihood of EVER seeing one of those cars pass you if you were to be trackside during the time they were on the railroad. Not very likely. But here we have TWO of them in boxes at the show side by side. What is worse is there were at least two other models of the same car on tables at the show. Four models at the same show of a ONE car class.

Mike O’Connell, former owner of Chooch Enterprises Inc. had a group of tables with various things on the tables. He had parts, converted 3 rail cars, partially built kits and fully built cars.

Much more in the next posts, I still need to recover from the drive.

Nice Fish Model Company CN Flat Car: Part 2

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When all the unboxing was complete, this was the condition of the trucks that came with the car. Not a great look. But the Protocraft wheel sets will be reused. The rest, well the next two images tells you what I think.

I thought about using another pair of Intermountain Trucks with the wheels, but I chose to use a pair of RY Models Proto48 50 ton Bettendorf instead. Mostly because they were on the workbench already.

When I took off the half of the bolster that remained on the car I noticed that there was no spring on the bolster screws. So I decided to add one. Of corse that meant the while installing the new trucks, one had to shoot into the air. No problem reach into the screw bin and replace it.

I checked the remaining bolster screw and it wasn’t a 2 mm screw. It was a 2.2 mm screw, which I don’t stock. I did find the missing screw after searching the area around the workbench.

Both bolsters showed some damage. Since it was basically the same damage reversed at each end, I wonder if it was actually damage or just poor quality castings. I know what my thoughts are.

I shaved off the ridge on the bolster and then used the body washer from the RY Models trucks between the car and the truck. This placed the car at a good height for the couplers.

Here is the car with the trucks installed and the original wheels sitting on top. No they won’t be a load just forgot to take them off the car for the image.

I’m not all that impressed with the car. Besides the trucks, I was disappointed with the deck on the car. Check out the edges of the deck in the next two photos.

I wanted to try one, but I don’t think I’m happy with the car. I will never consider another model by this manufacture unless I could see the car in person first.

3D printing offers a lot of possibilities for the future of O Scale, but we will have to suffer through the maturing of the products and the manufacturer’s quality control standards. The quality of each car is a one-off for each print. Will manufactures reject parts that are not of a high quality or will they throw some paint on the car and call it good?

Who knows, maybe I’ll change out the trucks for a pair of Ow5 trucks and you will see it for sale on my table in Chicago next month.

One last thought. Even after changing out the trucks for metal trucks the car is drastically under weight. NMRA recommended practice should have the car weight at 18 oz. The car weight actually is 9.7 oz., 8.3 oz under weight. Looks like this car will need a permanent load added to the car.

Nice Fish Model Company CN Flat Car

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It’s February all ready. How did that happen?

Current view on the workbench. I have a CN 50 ton flat car model from Nice Fish Model Company. It didn’t make the journey to NJ very well.

For some reason it was shipped inside a printed box. As I opened the box I heard sounds, not a great sign. Then I saw parts.

Turns out it was just the trucks. Disappointing? Yes, but not the end of the world. The trucks appear to be Intermountain side frames with Protocraft Wheelsets. The 3D printed bolster were the weak link. That does not speak well for 3D Printing.

I will need to take a closer look at the draft gear. This appears a little misaligned.

Nice model, I’ll let you know more of what I think when I can look at it more thoroughly. First impressions are not the greatest based on condition of what I received. Fancy box to ship the model in that did not do its job to protect the model in transit. That does not speak well of the engineering behind this.

Sometimes a simple solution works. Small bubble wrap around the model and then larger bubble wrap around that has worked well for me in the past.

Recent Activity

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I haven’t been up to too much lately. I have been having trouble just going into my train-room for any reason. Maybe I’m missing the passing of a couple of friends last year.

I did clear off the workbench to start to repair a couple of the yard steps on these three models that arrived from an auction this past November. They are three PRR G22’s built by Robert Parri.

The goal is to get them ready for paint. I have been looking to move my painting indoors, so I can paint all year long. The best days for painting outdoors are also the best days for being out in the world with a camera. The cameras usually win out.

Caveat Emptor – Weaver Hopper in an RY Models box

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Sometimes you have to look closely and sometimes you don’t. This recent listing on the auction site for a RY Models PRR H21a Quad Hopper Car is actually kind of funny.

First, the model is a triple hopper not a quad. Rich did import triple hoppers, but this is not one of those imports. As I type this, the auction is up to $79, that is a lot for what this model is.

Look closely at the grab irons on the car. They are flat not round wire like the better brass imports.

Looking at the underside of the car you can see that it is actually a Weaver 70 ton offset hopper car that someone put in the wrong box.

More and more collections are being sold by people that do not know about O Scale models, this is happening more than it should. It starts with boxing the models correctly and it winds through to knowing what a model is, no matter what is written on the box.

The new owner is going to be very disappointed when this model arrives. If the auction closed today they would be paying $79 plus shipping for a model that often will not sell at a train show when priced at $20. But they will have a nice RY Models box to put it in.

Update: Last night the auction closed at $99

All photos downloaded from the auction site.

TCA Eastern Division York Train Meet – October 2024

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Today, I attended my fourth TCA Eastern Division York Train Meet (aka York). They are growing on me. Do these shows hold much interest for a Proto48’er? Much more than I use to think.

While there are very few 2 rail O Scale models on the tables, compared to the number of 3 rail models, there are some. Sadly, I did not see any Proto48 models on the tables, but I really did not expect to see any. I did see more 2 rail models than I really expected too.

There was a vendor in the Orange Hall with both a number of Atlas O 2 rail freight cars and locomotives. I saw 4 SW-9’s, a half dozen ALCo C630’s, an ALCo C425, an ALCo RS-1 and some more modern EMD units. All at very good prices. Some were very tempting, but I didn’t want any more era sliding. I need to stay focused on my 1952 modeling period.

There were some 3 rail models for the Reading fans out there. This MTH FM TrainMaster is nice. Not as finely detailed as a Car & Locomotive Works model, but at a quarter of the price it could be good starting point.

There was a 3 rail SGL set on a table. Thankfully, I’m fine with the SGL G-3 I have. My G-3 is already converted to Proto48. I just need to find the time to install the DCC into it.

Atlas had a pair of new models on display at the show. First is an Atlas Master 73′ Center divider flat car. It was a very nice looking car. It will appeal to the modern modelers. The thought the graphics on the car were very nicely done.

Next is an Atlas Premier PS-5344 box car.

I was disappointed to see that Atlas’ new locomotive releases have DCS installed instead of DCC as the recent F7 runs had. Why can’t the manufacturers stay with industry standards like DCC? I wonder how a DCS release would go over in HO? And yet we in O scale have it shoved onto us. When it is not supported they will came back and say something like, there are no more 2 railers out there.

On to a more pleasant thought. This was a model on the Altoona Model Works Table. I liked it.

And let us not forget that this show is just a couple of weeks before Halloween.