Re: It's Official: No More Flyer

On Mon, Jan 27, 2025 at 02:51 PM, Hans von Draminski wrote:

I hope that someone buys just the tooling for that AF stuff from ten years ago and reissues it before I'm also dead and gone.

I think it highly unlikely that Lionel would sell off the Flyer tooling.

?

Rich G(ajnak)

Converting an AF Royal Blue to scale

#175560

Yeah, I'm acting like a true heretic. But I'd like to convert the AF Royal Blue I bought for second to none a few years ago into a smooth running scale loco. And I remember that there were some conversion kits with scale wheels, another motor and other parts to modyfy it. Just don't find the forum posts where I read about it. The old motor is stuck, the AC switching unit still in place. But I also would like to put a DCC decoder into the old lady to make her a match to my AM K4 streamline.

?

Greetings from Middle Franconia, Hans

Re: It's Official: No More Flyer

#175559

I hate to have been right on that topic a few weeks ago. Despite that I won't shed a tear for aged toy like reefers with pizza cutter flanges I see the bigger loss in the modern locos and rolling stock no one else made in S but Lionel. No more SD70. No more ES44. No more U33. And if I buy one of those used or NOS, no more scale wheels to get rid of the hirail wheelsets.

With 59 I am a bit too "young" for a flirt with transition era themes. US railroads for me are mile-long trains pulled by a bunch of modern traction power. Gone. I hope that someone buys just the tooling for that AF stuff from ten years ago and reissues it before I'm also dead and gone. Being in S means thinking in long terms. But not THAT long...

?

Sad Greetings, Hans

Re: S Scale switching layout plan

#175557

This is a S scale 3'X14' layout I have been working on to fit in the middle of my train room.? Very basic at this time.

S Scale 3X14.pdf

Re: S Scale switching layout plan

#175556

Back in 2012, the Northern Ohio 'S' Scalers were working on a 18' switching layout.? Two 6ft sections with a 3ft single track extension at either end.? We took it to a handful of shows.? Attached are a couple photos of the layout in progress.? We worked on it in my basement.? After a while we could not get enough guys interested to complete and take it to more shows.

?

-- John E. Henning

DSC_0258e.JPG

DSC_0260e.JPG

Re: S Scale switching layout plan

#175555

Check out Rob Chant's blog?

Also look for it on Facebook.

Model Railroad Hobbyist has a trackplan database among its various discussions. ?Go to their discussion forum and use the menu in the upper left to search for track plans.

Byron Henderson's LayoutVision has some ideas:

Charles Weston

On Monday, January 27, 2025, 02:23:49 PM CST, John Hutnick via groups.io <johnhutnick@...> wrote:

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.

?

Re: S Scale switching layout plan

#175554

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.

?

20250127_150739.jpg

20250127_151014.jpg

Re: S Scale switching layout plan

#175553

开云体育

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 - 

Fair Winds of Death


Fair Winds of Deceit


Fair Winds of Doubt



==  Scale Model Railroad Products  == 
== Manufacturer - Retailer - Importer ==
  
Bill Wade       
  
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1782 Trinity Rd
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Phone: 304-823-3729


  
Fair Winds Always!

Re: S Scale switching layout plan

#175552

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.

20250127_145908.jpg

Re: S Scale switching layout plan

#175551

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.

Re: Helium Cars

#175550

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

Re: Scale Trains has reefers on preorder

Austin Birkey

#175549

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).

Re: weigh this!

#175548

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

Show quoted text

On Sun, Jan 26, 2025 at 9:54?PM Ed Loizeaux via <Loizeaux=[email protected]> wrote:

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

Re: Scale Trains has reefers on preorder

#175547

I think they meant roof hatches rather than doors.

Re: Scale Trains has reefers on preorder

#175546

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)

Re: Scale Trains has reefers on preorder

#175545

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?

Re: Helium Cars

#175544

开云体育

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:

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

On Sun, Jan 26, 2025 at 10:23?PM Bill Roberts via <bill=[email protected]> wrote:

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.

—?

Bill Roberts

--
Dave McBrayer
Auburn, CA?

Re: Helium Cars

#175543

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:

Show quoted text

Bill,
I'd bet they are on their way to some Naval Air Station to fill up blimps.
Jamie Bothwell
Bethlehem, PA

On Sun, Jan 26, 2025 at 10:23?PM Bill Roberts via <bill=[email protected]> wrote:
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.
—?
Bill Roberts

Re: Helium Cars

#175542

Bill,

I'd bet they are on their way to some Naval Air Station to fill up blimps.

Jamie Bothwell

Bethlehem, PA

Show quoted text

On Sun, Jan 26, 2025 at 10:23?PM Bill Roberts via <bill=[email protected]> wrote:

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.
—?
Bill Roberts

Re: Bad tracking for SHS short covered hoppers.

#175541

I had this problem on other cars when my trucks were too tight and could not swivel properly.