Hobbyline HO scale Fairbanks Morse H-10-44 in Lehigh Valley colors...

...a gift from an online modeler friend. I've wanted one of these for awhile, in any form, from any manufacturer. The look is pure brute and the car body was designed by the same guy who did the Pennsy GG1.






Made in a time when the hobby was less refined...come on, can you imagine the caterwauling from the peanut gallery if Atlas stamped their logo on the SIDE of any of their models. And check out the screw on the top of the hood...shameless, I tell you, shameless...thinking some goob could actually enjoy the hobby with such a blatant display of non-scale hardware. That boxing glove for a coupler actually mates with most knuckle couplers today and was only used by HObbyline on their equipment. It just gets cooler with each inspection...


This torpedo tube is actually a device to eliminate light bleed thru the shell and concentrate it towards the headlight, a rather forward thinking detail that sees little use still today.


Then there's these giant spur gears in the cab, just waiting to puree some hapless HO scale crew that manages to fall into their clutches.

A great piece of modeling history, it appears to have been offered as part of several sets in 1955 -- in Lehigh Valley, C&O and AT&SF paint as a passenger train and in C&O and AT&SF paint in two freight sets. Pennsylvania paint eventually was offered but it wasn't long afterwards that HObbyline became Bowser and the diesel models stopped, most likely before 1960.

Many thanks buddy...it will be a cherished beastie in my fleet...

Mister Roger's 'Trolley" in HO scale...

...using two Bachmann San Francisco cable cars and some well placed razor saw cuts. Prototype fidelity was not as important to me as capturing the overall look of his famous trolley...five vertical posts, the overall light and airy look (very hard to handle for awhile there as it was exceptionally fragile).

I've found at least three different variants used over the years, the original having a black body with gold trim, green seats and red roof--even poles. My inherent orneriness would have me paint it that scheme, but most would remember the later one so I'll stick with that. I'm happy with where I'm at at this point...



















The project is at this point waiting for seats and final paint, but will have to sit on a back burner for now as we concentrate on our new home...

UPDATE: I was truly surprised to find out that there were those who did not know of Fred Rogers or of his television program--a medium he despised by the way, feeling it was a greatly wasted resource--. His was one of a very few...and I mean very few...children's programs where I could put down the remote, knowing that there were no untoward surprises awaiting my child that I did not want them to see. A truly remarkable man whose presence is sorely missed today...

The Unofficial Mamod and Other Steam forum Engine of the Month...

...alas...my Krick Model 2 did not make the cut...

Wilesco boiler sight glass bolts...

...are less than relaxing to install. I found that by placing the flat rare earth magnet from a child's toy on one side of my 4mm wrench, I could place the nut in the wrench, then line it up under the bolt and sight glass flange...












...it all buttons up in less than 20 minutes. I tightened each bolt/nut a half turn in the order shown, until all were tight and snug. Wilesco does not provide guidelines, and I am no expert so you are on your own at this point. One should take care to tighten them evenly and carefully so as not to bring undue pressure on any one point of the sight glass, flange or gasket.

Krick Model 2 two cylinder marine steam engine...Part IV, ready to fire up this weekend...

...next to an Athearn HO scale Hustler for perspective.

Krick Model 2 two cylinder marine steam engine...Part III, soldering the boiler...

Going...


...going...


...going...


...done.


I've always been one to over solder...you'd think after the hundreds of brazes and solders I've done in the trades over the years, I'd have it down.

This had me as nervous as a school girl, the finish being a prime point on these things. Some like them ratty, others like them with a good patina and still others like them sparkling bright. I wanted this one bright brass and a good soldering job is key. Fortunately, I was able to clean it up enough to be presentable. I did tin each side first, the next time, I'll have some steel wool to brush up the excess while still molten.

I use a polishing paste called Maas, I wish I had it in Army basic training, the stuff is a beast on tarnished metal. Unlike Brasso, it took very little effort to get to this level of polish. There actually is a difference in the finished tone of the metal between the two polishes, enough that I had to go back and redo what I had already polished. The Brasso finished with a copper tone, the Maaz more gold.

All in all, I don't feel too bad for a first time job on a model boiler.

Atlas N scale turntable modification...

Freebies are good, but sometimes they come with bugs that have to be surmounted. This one was working fine actually, the bug being built into it by Atlas.

The table's wiring is very simple, each rail has a spring loaded brush that contacts a plate underneath that is divided for track polarity. As the table spins, the polarity is corrected automatically for the roundhouse leads, so that locomotives travel on and off the table without have to worry about direction of travel. A simple and effective device, its one flaw being the location of the dividing point. In this case, the location placed two of my five roundhouse leads with polarity opposed to the track on the table...


Undaunted, I fearlessly drilled the rivets, thinking I will just rotate it 90 degrees and all would be right in the world...thinking being the key word here...sigh...


Alas, those rivets carry current to the contacts, so another plan was devised...by replacing the strip contacts underneath with wires, reattaching one and relocating the other (noted in green), I was able to remount the contact plate...


I then soldered jumpers to the original breaks (in yellow) in the plate, and cut new breaks (in green) in by scoring the metal with a knife. This placed the circuit in a way that powered all my roundhouse leads properly, so that the locomotives could roll onto and off the table with the necessary polarity issues straightened out. I made sure that none of these new connections interfered with the path of the sprung brushes...


Speaking of those brushes...


...the best way I've found to reinstall them was to put them in their respective holes...


...and...while holding them in place with a piece of paper, carefully flip the table right side up, place it into the pit circle and, while pushing down firmly but carefully on the table, slowly slide the paper out. This ensures that the brushes remain assembled and in place when you secure the table to the pit ring...

Soldering a Wilesco vertical boiler..the adventure begins...

Wet towels to keep from overheating other joints...check...


New pencil flame propane torch from Amazon.com that can be used in my work to justify the cost...check... Note to enterprising sprite who felt it worthy of a one star rating because of its small flame--DUDE, IT'S A PENCIL FLAME TORCH???!


LIFT OFF!!!! Check out where the leak was at the left end...either the previous owner ran it dry--yikes--or, he ran it like this for a while, the leak zone is easily almost 3/4" wide...



Clean the joints...and I mean spotless. I found my small flat and curved files, as well as my 3/4" fitting brush worked best--the Dremel was a great disappointment here.







Big, fat, blood thirsty mosquitoes drove me indoors before I could finish, so you'll have to wait 'til next time...

Krick Model 2 two cylinder marine steam engine...Part II, the buffing...

...and polishing.....and buffing....and rubbing...

They are a labor of love....

Krick Model 2 two cylinder marine steam engine...

...picked up at a local model train swap meet (isn't that where everybody goes for model steam engines?).

Krick engines were made years ago, using parts manufactured by Wilesco, and designed to go with their boat kits. This particular model engine was known in the past to come with their kit "The Patricia". The kit is still manufactured but their engines come from Regner now.

This particular engine came out of the original owner's model of "The African Queen", then spent the last few years as a flat car load in a garden railway. It was purring like a kitten when I came upon it, the owner running it off of a small air compressor. My plans are to clean it up and mount it, then pass it on to another modeler. Until then, I'll enjoy the privilege of being able to tinker with it...








Germany - Manufacture date: pre 1984
Bore = 1/4", Stroke 3/4", Flywheel diameter = 2"
Style: Double Acting, Dual Vertical Cylinder, Marine

AHM/Rivarossi passenger cars....

One of the things I do to all of my rolling stock is change over the plastic wheelsets for metal. The rolling action of metal to metal is a natural track cleaner, and the sound itself is quite pleasing.

Unfortunately, the price of aftermarket wheelsets can often exceed the price of the car, limiting me to what I can scrounge in a box lot or bargain at a local swap meet. Fortunately for me this go 'round, I found myself with a large quantity of the older Rivarossi wheelsets with nickle silver wheels, the type they used up until the mid-1960s...a drop-in fit for the later cars...


A little work with some Goo Gone on the treads and a spin into a Bright Boy block to clean up the needle point axle ends and my train was quietly swishing around the loop. Sure the flanges are deep enough to cut a Sicilian pizza with the works, but free is free and that's fine with me...

Marklin 3 rail HO/OO turnout...

...a junk box freebie, a pair were given to me because they were missing parts. Eager to get them working again, I'd give them an occasional stern look or two for the next 5 years.


Overcome with a mechanical epiphany two nights ago, I immediately assaulted a variety of wires and springs in my parts bins. After flaying the entrails of several paperclips closing in on a working cure, I came up with this...


Once installed, it looked like this...


Don't ask for measurements...if you want one, I'll bend it out for you and you can play from there.