I had the chance today to take a drive up into the Schuylkill Haven area today. It was a nice day for a drive and I wanted to get some first hand information about what would be visible in the backgrounds for the two “town walls” for the layout.
Coming back from West Cressona I found this beauty today. I wish I had my tape measure with me, next time I will.
Sadly, I received an email this morning announcing the passing of Larry Kline.
I only met Larry a few times at the RPM Meets. I had seen his name often on the prototype modelers boards and in print many times with modeling articles about the P&LE, WM and the PRR. He was always willing to share knowledge and information.
Larry modeled the Pittsburg area on his home layout which had been featured in a number of articles. He was also the co-chair of the recent series of RPM-East meetings, held in alternate years in the Pittsburgh and Philadelphia areas.
John Dunn and Rich Yoder hosted another great O Scale Show today in Strasburg, PA. No it’s not as big as Chicago, but you know almost everybody in the show. There were a few faces missing at this show but the attendance was very good. And the tables were down into the firetruck area again.
The bargains were there to be had, a number of folks had Intermountain kits at price that were two thirds what they are asking on ebay. There was a nice brass Perry PRR G22 that went early at the show. I saw big ticket brass models and lower priced models moving off the tables.
There were a couple of new models in the room. Bob Heil had the new Sunset PRR L1’s and he had a sample model of the new Sunset B&O P-7e on display. My trying to find new homes for models from my shelves kept me from taking many photographs today.
One of the key things for me today was diging up a lead on a former Reading Company employee that worked and photographed Reading steam in Schuylkill Haven, PA. More on that front as it develops.
This show was anything but a dog today.
I’ve been quiet lately here. I have been working on stuff, just not writing much. I’ve recently received and started to install the New Protocraft Symington-Gould “E” Type couplers some of my freight car models.
Most of the instalations have been easy. As simple as changing out the Kadee couple and box with the new Protocraft coupler box. Some have needed a little trimming of the coupler box.
They operate well, stay closed when they need to and open when you pass the magnetic wand over the top. They look fantastic!
The second photo shows them connected to a car with the Kadee couplers still. They did connect and stay coupled in my simple tests on the work bench.
The biggest issue I see so far is one that the prototype also has. They have to be manually aligned to couple properly. On a small switching layout where everything is easy to see, that will just add another layer of realism. On a larger layout with staging tracks in remote places that could prove to be a problem.
Imagine backing into a staging yard with close overhead clearances. You have to pick up a string of cars on track three of six, all adjacent tracks filled with cars. You can barely fit a hand over the cars, let alone see over them. And your couplers need to be aligned, you can’t see to connect to the cars.
As pretty and well functioning as these new couplers are, they do present some problems that the current bench mark of the Kadee coupler does not.
The issue of their cost is also something to consider. At $59.95 for five par of couplers, that is $11.99 per car for those that didn’t do the math. I can hear some of the guys with 200 cars on a model railroad saying they would not spend to $2398 to change out all the cars on their railroad. But for the modeler with 40 cars, it would come in at $479.60. That is not bad at all.
The jury is out for me on these couplers, they do operate well and look great. What is holding me back right now is coupling in spaces with bad access to the cars. Kadee couplers just work better in those places. Maybe the real solution to coupling in remote inaccessible locations is to not have those layout issues in the first place.
The new Sunset FP-7’s arrived today.
My first impression is good. I do see a couple of things that I will want to improve.
For now, I just want to look at them and enjoy them.
Follow-up to this post. About two years after this was posted. I was approached by a friend who was regretting not buying a pair of these. I ended up selling these models to him. He did not mind the things I saw wrong with the models at all. These have since been replaced with Overland FP-7’s working their way through the paint shop.
Side by side comparison of the new San Juan Type E Couplers and their existing Operating Type E Coupler. Gene Deimling photos
Gene Deimling posted about the new San Juan Couplers on his blog today. I recommend reading it. Here is an excerpt:
San Juan Car Company has been working on a new automatic coupler based upon the prototype Type-E coupler. Work was started on the standard gauge Evolution coupler shortly after finishing the narrow gauge Evolution automatic coupler. After several tries with their Chinese die maker, the coupler is done and in the country. The coupler is very similar to their working AAR Type-E coupler. The dimensions are nearly identical except for a scale inch and a half shorter in height. The shank has the same mounting hole and spring-plastic centering. It will fit in the same draft gear as the old San Juan coupler.
I can’t wait to try these out!
The new couplers look as good as the operating couplers and they do not have to be assembled. I also like the way they will remove the coupler slack if used in Kadee compatible coupler boxes.
Gene also mentions at the end of his post that there will be one more new assembled operating coupler in the states in the coming months. Coupler choices, that’s something to look forward to.
Tenax-7R back in the hobby shop
Seems like every few months we hear of another modeling product or company being discontinued or going out of business. It was nice to go into the hobby shop yesterday morning and see Tenax-7R back on the shelves. There were stories that the company had been sold last winter and the new company did not want to continue production, all I really know is the supply dried up.
Seeing it back on the shelf was like seeing an old friend at a train show. Can’t wait to use some of the new bottle today and kind of catch up on the time since I saw it last.
The crowd of dealers in the room just before the opening the doors to the public
John Dunn and Rich Yoder put on another fine show today in Strasburg, PA. The show sold out the 98 tables more than ever before. Attendance was also setting new marks with over 200 people both through the door and table holders.
Tables and modules this time extended into the area which had always been reserved for the fire-trucks. I had been told that if enough tables sold they would park the trucks outside the firehouse and this time they did. Hopefully it will continue to grow and all the trucks will need to be parked outside next time.
Good to see and talk with so many people at the show. I was also glad to see enough stuff leave my table that I think the rest will get posted on eBay over the Winter. I look forward to just being a helper for my friend’s table.
John and Rich had their meeting before the doors opened as they have in the past. There was no mention of the proposed O Scale East that had been talked about earlier this Year. I hope this does become a reality next year or the year after. But the lack of talk makes me think it might be even further into the future it at all.
Bob Lavezzi, speaking for the O scale Kings, also made it sound like the National next year will not happen in Montreal as was talked about earlier in the year. It’s not good that the National might not happen, but I know I had no intention of attending one in Montreal with international travel being what it is now.
The main hall at the show just after the doors opened.
Another image in the main hall.
Fran Pfeil behind the table selling parts from Sunnyside Models
Glen Guerra at his table with his line of kits for Mullet River Model Works on display
Tom Thorpe had some of Signature Switch turnouts on his tables
Modules that were set up at the show
The extra area where the fire truck used to be.
Sam Shumaker held the Cleveland O Scale Show this past Saturday. It continues to be a fine show. I was there selling some of my surplus models and managed to come home with some new models and parts for other projects.
Sam Shumaker commentated today on the OGR Board, “We had over 200 people through the gate, up 33% from last year. We had 50 dealers and 110 tables”
I had the pleasure of talking to Lee Turner at the show. He was showing samples of his recent weathering projects and resin builds for his clients. Wonderful work!
Lee also asked me to upgrade the image I had posted a long time ago of the Rails Unlimited NKP/C&O 1932 ARA boxcar. I said I would if he sent me and image of one of his cars. Here is his photo of a car he built. Fantastic modeling and really nice photography also!
Lee Turner’s model of the Rails Unlimited NKP/C&O 1932 ARA boxcar
One of the things I have been complaining about recently was that there seem to be no new products hitting the market or even being announced. That was one of the pleasant surprises at this show, it had a little of both.
Sunset had pilot models for both the PRR L1 2-8-2 Mikado and the Erie Berkshire.
Sunset Pilot Model of PRR L1s
Sunset Pilot Model of the Erie Berk
Bill Davis had new imported Water Spouts in four different varieties with two different bases.
Bill also had a number of pairs of Kohs O scale trucks on his table. While these were not Proto48 Jim Canter mentioned that they have converted them using Protocraft wheelsets.
PRR 2D-F8
PRR 2D-F8
National B-1
National B-1
Glenn Guerra of Mullet River Model Works had some fine examples of his kits on display. Glen also mentioned that he can’t keep his new trucks in stock. They are selling out as fast as he makes them.
Page 8
There is always talk about what size rail should be used to model prototype rail of different weights. Some time back, I picked up a document published by the AT&SF Railroad which had different sizes of rail for different manufacturers listed. It contains the dimensions and sizes of rail made by Illinois Steel Company, Carnegie Steel Company, Pennsylvania Steel Company, Bethlehem Steel Company, Lackawanna Steel Company, Cambria Steel Company Colorado Fuel & Iron Company and Dominion Iron & Steel Company.
I scanned it last week.
Download the whole booklet – Table of Weights & Dimensions of Rail
In page 8 above, the sizes for rail from the Pennsylvania Steel Company are listed in the left hand table. There are eight different lines for 100 pound rail. The base width ranges from 5 inches to 5.5 inches, the height ranges from 5.5 inches to 6 inches and the tread width from 2.75 inches to 3 inches. The one listing for a 135 pound rail has it’s base at 6 inches, it’s height at 6 inches and it’s tread width at 3 5/32 inch.
So how is someone going to tell the difference between 100 pound rail and 135 pound rail when one sample has the same height (6 inches) only a quarter of an inch in base width difference, and 5/32 of an inch difference in tread width?