Re: S Scale switching layout plan
If you want something very small to play with, this is an O scale layout that is 41"x16".? There is only one switch.? It is a handmade turnout that is 2 switches interlocked back to back.? Frogs are #3.? This is how the railroad is made small.
The second photo shows the back with a 2 track sliding traverser for moving freight cars.? It is behind the freight house, which can be unscrewed and an engine house substituted.? ?This layout is operated with 4-wheel engines and cars.? An AF mikado is shown in front for scale, along with a BEDT 0-6-0.
It would be hard to build something much smaller where you could do anything at a all.
?
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Re: S Scale switching layout plan
On 1/27/2025 3:02 PM, John Hutnick via
groups.io wrote:
Here is a photo of an HO GS&S, with a Shay and 2 cars.?
The bridge has been eliminated.? It is 1 ft x 8 ft.
_._,_
(snip)
Nice!?? Looks like the Gum Stump & Snowshoe from an old Model
Railroader . . .? always a favorite!
Take care
Bill
--
== Author of Military Crime Fiction ==
Amazon Page -
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Fair Winds of Doubt
== Scale Model Railroad Products ==
== Manufacturer - Retailer - Importer ==
Bill Wade
B.T.S.
1782 Trinity Rd
Belington, WV 26250-7621
Phone: 304-823-3729
Fair Winds Always!
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Re: S Scale switching layout plan
Here is a photo of an HO GS&S, with a Shay and 2 cars.? The bridge has been eliminated.? It is 1 ft x 8 ft.
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Re: S Scale switching layout plan
Hi Tom If you are looking for a small switching layout plan there are hundreds if not thousands to choose from. You didn't say how large a space you want to fill. The easiest way to go is to find a prototype track drawing at a small location and simply copy it. That's what Tony Koester calls a Layout Design Element. In my case, the small end-of-branch at Port Dover, Ontario appealed to me. See below. It ended at the Lake Erie shoreline and had only six turnouts. For space considerations, I combined the fish plant and coal dealer spurs into one. What you see below was removable from my layout and travelled thousands of miles to dozens of train shows.? For all of it's simplicity, switching a train could take a half hour or more. Especially if done at prototypical speeds and using prototypical practices.?
 
Two good websites to check out are those of Lance Mindheim ( ) and Carl Arendt ( ). Lance has written numerous articles about prototypically operating deceptively simple track layouts based on actual locations. His modelling and photography are superb. I'm a big fan of tiny layouts and the late Carl Arendt built a massive website for micro and mini layouts. Even if you are not pressed for room, the problem-solving ideas in these clever plans are transferable to larger spaces.
Cheers Jim Martin.?
p.s. I too always had a hankering to build the Gumstump and Snowshoe.
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Dave...
?
I, too, grew up in East Oakland.? This industry was on a siding on West Grand (it was/is 4 lanes there and not really what we called "west Oakland")) on the north side of the street and just east of the then double decked Nimitz Freeway.? San Pablo Ave. was to the east. They received a "fresh" car every few months. The old SP Chevy branch serviced both a GM truck plant in San Leandro and the Chevy plant at what became Eastmont Mall at 73rd Avenue and MacArthur Blvd. in East Oakland.? It passed my elementary school and I still vividly remember those 2-8-0's and 0-6-0's rolling down the branch.
?
We also moved to Auburn from the east bay and spent 10 terrific years there overseeing my restaurant operations in both Sacramento and Fresno.? The call of big bucks, however,? caused me to return to corporate life and a move east.? I'm now retired and living near Athens, Georgia.? Tough for a Cal guy to support those UGA Bulldogs, however.
?
Bob Hogan
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Re: Scale Trains has reefers on preorder
I am grateful that this news was shared.? I'm excited!? Last week I snagged two of the remaining DTI cars and have put my name for three more of the 40 foot.?
I'm currently in negotiations with the landlord (wife) to secure space for a second layout.? If this happens I'll take a stab at more prototype modeling.? In the meantime, these cars and similar ones get assembled into a consist and get some rail time on the high iron (in high rail).
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Same with the real?RR, early builders made tight curves and steep grades?rather than move dirt.? ?As the trains got longer and heavier those curves and grades had to be changed. old retired?civil engr?with CSX .? ?Pete
On Sun, Jan 26, 2025 at 06:28 PM, Bob Werre wrote:
I do admire you and Ed's ability to keep grades low and curves long.
Bob...I am not sure "ability" had anything to do with it.? At the outset of concept and design, the #1 goal was a long mainline with broad curves and shallow grades.? I've always liked long freight trains and 84' passenger equipment.? Fitting a layout into available space is always a challenging project, but keeping with the original priorities makes it a lot easier.? Coming back later to adjust things is no fun at all.? Cheers.......Ed L.
--
Ed Loizeaux
Los Altos, CA
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Re: Scale Trains has reefers on preorder
I think they meant roof hatches rather than doors.
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Re: Scale Trains has reefers on preorder
On Mon, Jan 27, 2025 at 09:28 AM, rutland44 wrote:
The thanks detailed information makes reference to opening doors, which is different from the previous runs. So I¡¯m wondering if this is a modification to the tooling or if the information is perhaps not correct.
I would suspect opening doors are a case of "cut 'n paste-itis."? More likely a reference to opening ice hatches which were available on the original SHS cars.
?
Rich G(ajnak)
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Re: Scale Trains has reefers on preorder
I think it¡¯s great to see the return of the 40 foot wood reefer but I did have a couple of concerns.
The thanks detailed information makes reference to opening doors, which is different from the previous runs. So I¡¯m wondering if this is a modification to the tooling or if the information is perhaps not correct.
Secondly, the WRX Green Bay & Western car is yellow rather than gray. The only photos I can find in addition to other models of the car are gray. So I¡¯m wondering if the color is correct or perhaps represents the era when the line was founded back in the late 20s or early 30s?
Best regards to all,
Fred McDermott?
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Bob,
In your time frame there was still a lot of industrial manufacturing
in west Oakland.? Think ship building/repair, steel making, steel
rolling, etc.? "Heli-arc" welding was popular as it significantly
reduced the amount of slag in the joint.? The "Heli" from Helium.?
All of these industrial sites were rail served to some degree.? The
interstate highway system, similar state highways did not yet
exist.? Think 2- and 3-lane roads mostly.? There was a Chevrolet
plant in east Oakland.???
I grew up in the East Bay in your time frame.? Now I am retired to
Auburn, CA - on the Donner Route.
Dave McBrayer
Auburn, CA
---------------
On 01/27/2025 6:59 AM, adguytrains via
groups.io wrote:
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
Bill...
We used to get t-2 cars at a time delivered to an
industry?on the north side of West Grand Ave. in Oakland
during the 1950's and 1960's.? I can't remember what they made
there.
Bob Hogan
On Mon, Jan 27, 2025 at
9:56?AM Jamie Bothwell via <jamie.bothwell610= [email protected]>
wrote:
Bill,
I'd bet they are on their way to some
Naval Air Station to fill up blimps.
Jamie Bothwell
Bethlehem, PA
We are fortunate to have 1:64 S scale
helium cars available to us today. As for the 1:1
Southern Pacific move, I cannot begin to guess the
purpose.
Notice the string of eight behind the
three SP locomotives. The attached photo, which
showed up a day or two ago ago on the Espee mailing
list, is the Leesdale Local passing through
Chatsworth, California on 12/05/85. Chatsworth is a
Los Angeles neighborhood, and Leesdale is about 39
miles west, on the fringe of Oxnard.
--
Dave McBrayer
Auburn, CA?
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Bill... We used to get t-2 cars at a time delivered to an industry?on the north side of West Grand Ave. in Oakland during the 1950's and 1960's.? I can't remember what they made there. Bob Hogan On Mon, Jan 27, 2025 at 9:56?AM Jamie Bothwell via <jamie.bothwell610= [email protected]> wrote:
Bill, I'd bet they are on their way to some Naval Air Station to fill up blimps. Jamie Bothwell Bethlehem, PA
We are fortunate to have 1:64 S scale helium cars available to us today. As for the 1:1 Southern Pacific move, I cannot begin to guess the purpose.
Notice the string of eight behind the three SP locomotives. The attached photo, which showed up a day or two ago ago on the Espee mailing list, is the Leesdale Local passing through Chatsworth, California on 12/05/85. Chatsworth is a Los Angeles neighborhood, and Leesdale is about 39 miles west, on the fringe of Oxnard.
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Bill, I'd bet they are on their way to some Naval Air Station to fill up blimps. Jamie Bothwell Bethlehem, PA
We are fortunate to have 1:64 S scale helium cars available to us today. As for the 1:1 Southern Pacific move, I cannot begin to guess the purpose.
Notice the string of eight behind the three SP locomotives. The attached photo, which showed up a day or two ago ago on the Espee mailing list, is the Leesdale Local passing through Chatsworth, California on 12/05/85. Chatsworth is a Los Angeles neighborhood, and Leesdale is about 39 miles west, on the fringe of Oxnard.
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Re: Bad tracking for SHS short covered hoppers.
I had this problem on other cars when my trucks were too tight and could not swivel properly.
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Re: Bad tracking for SHS short covered hoppers.
During the last year or so of our production with Sanda Kan, the tool for our 50 ton PRR and Andrew truck wore out. Hard to believe¡after more than a quarter of a million ejection, the tool needed to be replaced. The first run of those cars may have been sent to us with less than stellar trucks. With the car upside down and hopefully in a foam cradle, see if the diagonal movement (axles look like a parallelogram) is over extended. Earlier and trucks from the new tool should not do this.?
? Also, make sure the trucks have all their springs, if you lose just one, they will derail!?
Don
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Re: Bad tracking for SHS short covered hoppers.
I have a small inventory of rolling stock but I also had a problem SHS covered hopper.? It seemed to me that there was more drag at the bolster connection unreleased to the tightness of the screw.? I had a drill bit (?" maybe) that fit the hole very tightly so I gently reamed it until the drill bit moved freely and remounted the truck.? The drag on the truck cleared up and fixed the? problem.
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Re: Des Plaines Gunderson Huskies
Oh my, well what a total cock-up that was then on my part!? I never even noticed the drawbars in the parts list.? They were for sure not in the box or identified in the pictures of the parts.? I just followed along with the directions, comparing the parts called out in the written paragraphs to the included pictures and the sprues.
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The instructions just called for installing couplers into the (6) coupler pockets.
?
C'est la vie.
?
I wonder if there were inconsistencies, back in the day, between the intent of the editing of the paperwork, the actual manufacturing and the packing of the boxes?? I also bought the kit second (at least) hand.? No fault to the seller, Bill!? :-)? I have what I wanted.
?
Thanks,
?
Bill
Philadelphia
I:64
On 01/24/2025 7:06 PM EST Tom Hawley via groups.io <t.hawley@...> wrote:
?
----- Original Message -----
From: Bill Hawk via groups.io <archhawk@...>
I can add that this ¡°3 car kit¡± does not and did not have draw bars or any indication of making a decision to use draw bars. All cars have 2 trucks and two coupler pockets.
> > > > > > > > > >
That's interesting because the instructions, a copy of which you attach, begins with a parts last that includes part "300-15 Two drawbars."
But it's no big deal,??You're doing what I and many of us would do with this kit??--??making three stand-alone cars.
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Re: Bad tracking for SHS short covered hoppers.
On Sun, Jan 26, 2025 at 06:58 PM, George Courtney wrote:
Hard to help without more information.? But try this for starters:
-- Are the trucks free rolling and equalized?
-- Are the couplers free to move side-to-side without catches or restrictions or binding?
-- Are the couplers on the coupled-to cars free to move sideways without binding?
-- Is the gauge of all four wheelsets correct?
-- Does this happen at a rail joint which is not in good alignment?
?
Check these possibilities and then come back with more information.
?
Good luck..........Ed L.
--
Ed Loizeaux
Los Altos, CA
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We are fortunate to have 1:64 S scale helium cars available to us today. As for the 1:1 Southern Pacific move, I cannot begin to guess the purpose.
Notice the string of eight behind the three SP locomotives. The attached photo, which showed up a day or two ago ago on the Espee mailing list, is the Leesdale Local passing through Chatsworth, California on 12/05/85. Chatsworth is a Los Angeles neighborhood, and Leesdale is about 39 miles west, on the fringe of Oxnard.
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Bad tracking for SHS short covered hoppers.
I'm having a problem with the SHS short covered hoppers.? These were made by putting a top on regular open hoppers.? I think they were the last covered hoppers Don did. They are derailing in trains where no other car derails.? I've added four ounces of weight to one and the result was it hits the ground harder when it derails.? Which reminds me, "Model Railroading is Fun."? Anyone else experience this and come up with a solution?
I'm far from the best track layer.? And my track isn't perfect.? But all my other, and longer cars are not derailing but very rarely.?
?
Thanks,
George Courtney
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Pete Silcox
David McBrayer
Don Thompson