Yearly Archives: 2011

2011 O Scale National, Indianapolis, IN

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A View of the Proto48 Meeting at the O Scale National Convention

The 2011 O Scale National was held during the week from September 21st thru September 25th in Indianapolis, IN. Communication is not always what it should be and 20/20 hindsight is always better, I wish we would have known at the time that this National was put on Jim and his crew late.

When I go to a National, I’ll admit I want to be entertained by the local modelers. I look forward to seeing their layouts, attending their clinics, and seeing their modeling. Each area of the country that the Nationals have been held in sees the world differently. At the O Scale  National each we get a chance to see that area through the eyes of the people in that region. We get the chance to see common sceans modeled as they are remembered.

The first day had Proto48 meeting and a layout tour. We were invited to Jim Canter’s layout where we saw a large railroad under construction. It also was a great display for his track sections as they were being used throughout his layout. I look forward to seeing the eveloution of that layout.  We also had the chance to see a real jewel of a Proto48 layout, Warner Clark’s layout is worth going to Indianapolis to see on it’s own. We also attended another layout that day even though it was not a Proto48 layout. We visited Jeff Lang’s layout fine layout.

Before we headed out we had the chance to see some examples of On3 layouts that fit on the tables. We also had the chance to talk with one of the Proto48 suppliers, John Paultz of American Switch and Signal. He showed off a turnout built with his parts and talked about the development of his product line. One thing that really looked great on his display, besides his parts, was his use of an N scale Cab Industries ground throw. I spoke with my local suplier who was sitting next to me during the meeting and have some on order now.

The next day, there were good buys on the trading floor to be had. The time spent with the modelers who were there was very enjoyable.

Reading Modeling Myth #2 – Reading Cabooses all had Taylor Trucks

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Reading NMf 90723 sitting in Tamaqua

 

One of the common Reading Company Myths is that all of their cabooses road on Taylor Trucks.

Based on the 1957 roster, the following is a breakdown of how many of each type of truck were under Reading Steel caboose in 1957. Turns out there are more Birdsboro Bettendorf style trucks under the Reading Cabooses than Taylor trucks.

 

Andrews 25 9%
Taylor 114 40%
Birdsboro 148 51%
287 100%

Prototype: Reading RS-2 #539 two photos

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Reading 539 2/15/52
Reading 539 in Catawissa, PA 8/56

Just when you think you know something, you don’t!

 I’ve been looking at photographs and marking down the detail differences on the RS-2 page.
 
Before tonight I had only seen one photo of a Reading AS-16 without louvers on the Engineer’s side below the air intakes on the long hood. Tonight I found three more photos which clearly showed the panel on #538, 539 and 533 without louvers.
 
What is really making my head spin is that a photo of #539  dated 2/15/52 shows enginge number 539 without louvers and then less then four years lateer in 8/56 the same locomotive has the louvers.
 
Time to find more images of the locomotives in 1952!
 
 

Vulcan Trucks – Two Different Versions

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Yoder P48 Vulcan truck on left, San Juan P48 Vulcan truck with Protocraft 33″ wheelset on right.

While at the Strasburg show I picked up a pair of the new Yoder Vulcan p48 trucks.  The Yoder website shows the trucks are out of stock in P48, but he had some on the table at the show. The trucks come fully assembled and include a screw so that they could be mounted onto one of Rich’s models.

I had held back before on buying these because I have several pair of San Juan’s Vulcan truck on the shelf and really did not know much about the design. When I got home and set the truck next to a San Juan truck, I was pleased to see that they were different. This started a little digging to find out some more information about the trucks.

I looked at the article “Arch Bars to Roller Bearing, Freight car trucks 1900-1960″ by Richard Hendrickson in Volume 4 of the Railway Prototype Cyclopedia. Where I found out the Vulcan truck was manufactured by American Steel Foundries in the early 1920′s. They were similiar to Andrews trucks of the time, with a cast steel side frame with seperate journal boxes.  Where they differed is that the Vulcan design eliminated the need for a bottom retainer bars by bolting the journal box into pedestal jaws.

The article show photos of two different Vulcan designs one an earlier L-section and one a later U-section side frame castings.

In Robert Karig’s book, Coal Cars the first three hundred years, he speaks of the Vulcan design in chapter six on Freight car trucks. “George G. Floyd was awarded a patent for a side frame with pedestal mounted journal boxes on May 3, 1910. It served as the foundation patent for the American Steel Foundries’ Vulcan side frame. Initially built in a T-Section form, the Vulcan frame was ultimately converted to a channel-section design.”

I was also surprised to see that Rich’s trucks were completly within NMRA spec for P48. Not all of the trucks I have measured before from Rich for Standard O scale were, so this was great news. The San Juan truck does have nice casting letting on the truck sideframes that the Yoder’s are lacking.

Vulcan Truck from 1922 Car Builders Cyclopedia

Vulcan truck with NYC markings on display at the Danbury Railroad Museum, Danbury, CT.

2011 Strasburg O Scale Show – August

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Rich Yoder and John Dunn put on another O Scale Show in Strasburg on August 6, 2011. The show was very well attended and there were a number of new things to see at the show. One of the bigger items that was on a couple of tables was Weaver’s new Lackawanna Pocono 4-8-4, one of them is in the lead photo on theis post.

Rich Yoder also had his new Mathieson Dry Ice car.  I didn’t photograph the car because I was to busy going through his stock of trucks. One his table he had O scale and P48 versions of two new trucks, the PRR 2F-F2 and the PRR 2D-F12. I’ve added the measurements for the new trucks into the P48 Wheel Standards page.

I was also able to pick up an older Precision Scale Co. C&O 50 ton twin class H5 with flat ends. We had been talking about this car on the Proto48 modelers board. Turns out this car is correct for one order of theErieoffset twins and is different than the Yoder cars that are correct for theErie. I’ll post more on that later this week.

I had the chance to meet and talk for a while to Jack Hill at the show. It was very nice to put a face with the models that I’ve seen in his blog.

After a nice morning of buying and selling, I had the pleasure of going to lunch at Jenny’s Diner on US 30 with other p48′ers, such as Martin Latowsky. That is starting to turn into a regular P48 Lunch outing.

Reading Modeling Myth #1-Will the “Real” RDG Pullman Green Please Stand Up – Part III

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The plot thickens……

My brother Bobb sent this partial scan to tease me a little today. It’s from a lettering diagram for Reading and CNJ switchers. The drawing was first released on 12/7/38 and is updated through 1944.

It does identify “Duco Pullman Green -(Reading Railroad Standard)- No. 254-1374″

Now to research the modern version of that paint. Still might not be what’s on the AS-16′s, but it’s another step closer.

NYC Modeler Magazine is Launched

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I received an email today that NYC Modeler online magazine was launched today. I’m looking forward to more information about one of the Reading’s major interchange partners and their equipment.

This type of online publications talks mostly about HO and N scale models, but the prototype information that goes along with the model information, is the same for all scales.

The first issue looks good, I wish them lots of success.

“Developed and edited by members and friends of the New York Central System Historical Society, we are providing this free resource for anyone interested in creating acurrate models of New York Central railroad equipment and structures. The magazine is only available as a PDF file.”

The Website is at http://nycshs.org/nycentral_modeler.php

Prototype: Reading RS-2 #583 Philadelphia, PA

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One of the models on the progect list is the Baldwin AS-16’s with dynamic brakes.

Information on the short hood has been hard to come by. They spent most of their lives working were few photographers went. Also they were often MU’ed with short hoods together. He is a negative of Reading 583 later in life, looks like mid 60’s based on the green and yellow locomotive in the background.

While this isn’t the sharpest image in the world, it is another piece in the puzzle.