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Afternoon everyone, Off and on rain here, so down into the basement. RDG T1 #2107 going around I10 #2008, which helped make up it's train. Yes, that is code 148 AM rail. The layout is about 75% former 2x4 transportable modules built in the late 1980's/early 1990's. You can see one of the 4" 'Dutchman" pieces connecting the two sections. And , yes the eccentric rod on #2008 does need some shop time. Hope you all having some fun. Hugh

Thanks to Pete Silcox sending me these vintage kits, I was able to build a pair of Don Thompson's early TrainStuff resin kits last week. The Burlington Northern 50' 6" Flush Plug Door Box Car was one of three versions of these cars. The 40' 6" New York Central box car kit was a model of the LCL Pacemaker series cars, however I modeled it as it was post Pacemaker service. I've modeled several of these TrainStuff kits before. All use resin cast flat sides/end/roof with a wood floor. I enhanced these two models with various Pacific Rail Shops styrene castings. I've found that most of these vintage TrainStuff kits tend to have the original green tissue paper protective wrapping stuck to the resin castings and the side castings are always warped top to bottom. A little soap and water and some time with a hair dryer easily corrects these problems. After all of these years, these kits still build up into very nice models. Thank you, Don!

It seems that the photos did not post, so here's another try. Bob Hogan

I have been threatening myself to do it for a long time but I finally did it.... I have a continuous loop of fluorescent light fixtures around my layout. Fluorescent is about the worst lighting you can have for photography. What is worse the tubes are mostly over 10 years old. While they still "light" I am sure they are much dimmer than when new. That is what happens to fluorescent tubes as they age. There is a commercial electric supply near my house. I stopped by and asked about 4' LED tubes that will roll in and work with my fixture ballasts. I bought 4 of them for a test. Most LED tubes are plastic. These are glass. They are MUCH brighter than my old fluorescent tubes. The coolest thing is the slide switch to adjust the Kelvin. I set to 6500 which is bright white. They are - YIKES - $13.00 EACH. I need about 24 of them. This will be a little at a time project. I am also going to replace some OLD fluorescent fixtures. Some LED fixtures are cheaper than retro of the fluorescent tubes. Thank You, Bill Lane Modeling the Mighty Pennsy, PRSL & Reading in 1957 in S Scale since 1987 See my finished models at: http://www.lanestrains.com/My_Models.htm Look at what has been made in PRR in S Scale! See my layout progress at: http://www.lanestrains.com/My_Layout.htm Join the Pennsylvania Reading Seashore Lines Historical Society It's FREE to join! http://www.prslhs.com Preserving The Memory Of The PRSL

That's the theme of the NASG ads that have run on the inside cover of every RMC since mid-2022 and which are scheduled to run through December 2027, unless something changes. I'm an advocate that the best way to grow S is to share with modelers in other scales what's being done in S today through all the avenues available, including in the multiscale magazines like RMC, MR and NMRA Magazine. While advocating for new products is fine, as is sharing our modeling among ourselves, nice S models and layouts can be built today with what's available both new and on the secondary markets and we need to share that modeling with those outside of S. I reiterate that I'm ready, willing and able to help anyone get a photo of their S model in Model Railroader's Trackside Photos feature. Thanks to the few guys who have already provided photos. The first one, by Gaylord Gill, appeared in last month's MR. We expect several more will be published in 2025. This is not an NASG sanctioned program...it's just something I've offered to do. I've just completed detailing an American Models Baldwin to represent B&O 9271 (photos attached). I scratchbuilt the unusual MU panels from styrene and made new railings from brass wire. I used commercially available wipers, shades, horn, MU hoses, drop steps and headlights. I'm working on an article on this build for Model Railroader with the purpose of showing what can be done in S with what you can buy today. The caboose and hoppers in the images are also available today. Is there as much available in S as in HO or N? No, of course not. Can you build nice models in S with what is available today with common modeling techniques and materials? Absolutely! Let's show folks outside of S what can be done...and IS being done...and not just talk among ourselves about what we wish we had. Brooks Stover

I have some surplus items that need to find new homes. Offers accepted. Buyer pays USPS shipping. American Models Milwaukee Road Chippewa 462 light Pacific. DC Hi-rail. Asking $200. American Models Rock Island u25b. AC Hi-rail. Asking $150. American Models Erie Lackawanna GP35. DC scale. All parts included. Asking $125. This unit has the spring type drive. See photos. American Models Seaboard Air Line Baldwin S12. DCC with scale wheels. Has a Digitrax DH166d decoder installed. Asking $125. Please respond via private message by clicking the link below. I may not see this if you do not reply privately. Thank you for looking.

All -- Recently on this e-list here has been a lot of back-and-forth/justification for a variety of wheel and track types and how to accommodate what on what trackage. In my view, this is the single most off-putting issue facing the future (or lack thereof) of S. Look at HO. Everything you can buy is mutually/physically compatible with each other -- cars, locomotives, track products. You can purchase A's loco. B's car, and C's track components and everything will work toigether. No tutorial required. Now look at S. Despite recent NASG efforts to separate the various incompatibilities in S into -- get this! -- six different brochures in order to avoid confusion, the very fact that this was done accedes to the fact that S is still haunted by American Flyer. Of course, we here are long past that issue, comfortable with what we are doing. But the future of S depends not on us (most of whom are past our expiration dates!) but on future converts and newbies. For them, STANDARDS MATTER! Forget rail height for now. It's wheel flanges and flangeway widths that matter. There is no need for new products to conform to anything but NMRA standards for S. (These are identical to NASG's "scale" standards.) The only additional "no-no" is for major-mag ad to dump the AF-compatible lobster-claw coupler visuals. People new to S should not have to school themselves on S's historical incompatibilities in order to achieve operational success. I am the last surviving founder of the NASG (Chicago, 1960). NASG's stated goal was -- and continues to be -- the promotion of S scale. And I have seen a lot. I started with Lionel O-27 at age 11 months. I gave the Lionel away to a Chinese immigrant family on my 10th birthday because my parents replaced it with an A. C. Gilbert S gauge Hudson freight set. My goal ever since then has been to create realistic models to the best of my personal capabilities, expanding them via experience over time. I built my first kit, a Chester 85-foot baggage car kit, when I was 11. It didn't like my 20-inch radius curves, so I shortened it to 11 inches and -- it worked! Throughout my student years I gradually converted my tinplate stuff as well as my Northeastern, Nimco, and Kinsman kit-built equipment to NMRA-compatible scale standards, building the occasional pattern for Claud Wade's brass castings project, and entering NMRA model contests. In that era S began blossoming among the model railroading community. Our pinnacle was achieved with the arrival of the first imported S scale brass locomotives in 1985. Since then it has been downhill. Before then, the personal goal of nearly all NASG members was to move from toy trains progressively toward more realism, generally via kits with AF-compatible wheelsets and flextrack components, into hirail and scale. That is the path that I took. But now we are faced with no brass importers and inconsistent track products (unless custom-built). (Yeah, I know that Bill and Dan are working on this latter issue, and I wish them well. But plug-and-play turnouts are still a gleam in the eye.). Maybe the RMC inside-cover ads in conjunction with the NASG.org website will turn things around. But for now, those whose interest is piqued by these resources must shop the secondary S market (e.g., eBay and this e-list) to acquire even the most basic S inventory. I hadn't intended to ramble this much. My basic message for all of us whenever we face the outside model railroad fraternity is this: Get rid of the AF/hirail albatross around our necks!! Just because we here know how to deal with it doesn't mean we should have to foist it on potential newbies. -- Dick Karnes, MMR

I realize that many of us on the list are already retired or semi-retired. Most likely, we're living in the last place we expect to live - no moves on the horizon. But... if you were to move again, or you haven't quite retired and are looking at places to move, where would you go that is "attractive" to model railroaders and train lovers? Where would you go that is rich in railroad lore, railroad history, railroad clubs/museums/tourist roads, and hobby shops? This is the type of discussion I have with my wife, from time to time, wrt her love of quilting. We've already identified some potential areas, but nothing there speaks to the railroad question. Public replies are appreciated, because I'd like others to see what you have to contribute. Thanks! Phil Scandura Flagstaff, AZ

I don't know how I wound up with several of these, but I need to dispose of some. I built one kit shown in photo. $50/kit plus shipping. Respond offline at swolcott at paonia dot com. Steve Wolcott

I have a few topics that might help this cause. I have just stripped my layout to bare module tops for a complete rebuild. Fear not, this has always been the plan. I will be placing an order for code 100 flex track from Micro Engineering in the near future. I anticipate many turnouts from Empire Track works to follow. I continue to work on several scale modeling projects including rolling stock, structures, and maritime vessels. My collection of expensive scale semi trucks, vehicles of all kinds and construction and farm implements continues at an unhealthy rate. I am hoping with fading confidence that Shane Lambert will follow through on delivering an AM GP 35 Erie Lackawanna locomotive that I sent him a check for in mid December. My good friend Bill has just posted photos of his recently completed RS 11. The trade we made was a bare brass RS 11 for a beautifully painted NYC RS 11. The NYC RS 11 is a perfect companion to the RS 11 that a purchased from Ed Loizeau. I think Bill posted a photo of the two locomotives together that, in my opinion, should be put out into the print world as an example of what our scale looks like. Bill warned me early on that scale was going to be expensive. The RS 11 was that. I have been on a steep learning curve since joining this "sport" during COVIDs shutdown. Sitting in with Bill while he installs decoders in my locomotives is invaluable. So now my goals are to install headlights in my SP SD40-2 and paint and detail my Peobe Snow Midgage passenger train.. I have in my train collection: a 1946 AC Gilbert K Pacific PRR and four New Haven passenger cars. This runs on Gargraves track. A high rail diesel transition Lackawanna freight train. A scale transition diesel freight train. A high rail modern freight train. And a scale modern freight train. These all have, until I ripped it all up, run on AF Fast Track. When I hear stories about our love of scale trains on the decline it saddens me. I'm here to stay. Andrew Parker

For all of you who might be sick of these circular, old chestnut arguments about rail size, wheel shape, who's making turnouts/who's not, who's not growing the scale, all we need is a Grade-A tie-jector car, and so on ? ... I thought I would cross post this question from another 'io' list. The S List has a number of smart, 1:64 farm equipment modelers that have to be bored senseless - if they haven't already unsubscribed. The photo below is an enlargement from the BRHS (Burlington Route) archives. Can anyone identify the loads on those six flat cars? The enlargement is fuzzy but the actual photo (link below) is more distant. The photo is from 1948, taken along the Mississippi River at Desoto, Wisc. Since that area of the country had more than a few farm implement manufacturers, some type of farm equipment seems to be the reigning theory. At any rate, I just wondered if a farm equipment expert might cast a sharp eye on an admittedly, very fuzzy photo... The full photo: https://burlingtonroutehistoricalsociety.smugmug.com/Company-4x5-Negatives/Train-Action-Shots/i-d4KQrvz shows the train is northbound as the CB&Q tracks are on the east side of the river. Jim Kindraka Grand Rapids, MI

I have a W. A. Drake Mobilgas tank car for sale. I have attached pictures of both sides of the model. Tank car has been lightly weathered. Wheels and trucks are weathered too. Original W. A. Drake blue box is included. I purchased this car a few years ago from Tom at Sidetracks and paid $325.00. I am asking $260.00 plus $17.00 for shipping to the lower 48. If interested, contact me off group at wkschlinger@... I accept PayPal friends and family and personal check for payment. If you pay by check, I will ship the model once the check clears. Wade Schlinger