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...

Keyser Model Kits P.O./P.O. Tours 4-6-0 locomotive in HO scale...

...and even all that may be wrong. I have found very little information on this other that the original owner and photographer's pictures. It will be on its way here shortly to join my growing stash of kits set aside to keep my fingers busy when work runs out. I have found nothing on the net except for a few auction listings and so would appreciate any history out there if you readers would know of it...

Northwest Short Line 18 ton HO scale Shay...yet again...

...October 1973 Model Railroader magazine ad...

Northwest Short Line 18 ton HO scale Shay...again...

...the original introductory ad, October, 1973, Railroad Model Craftsman magazine...




Contrary to the ad, it does not come with all wheels driven...a production glitch that never was rectified as far as I know. Since most brass locomotives are sold to collectors who then turn them into shelf queens, it's highly unlikely few owners even knew of it--then or now.

Busch HO scale State Police cars...

...my birthday present from where I work (actually the check they gave covered them), my grand slam set from every state I've ever called home.

The Maryland car was the hardest to find...I actually convinced myself that they simply weren't made. Had to come all the way over from Germany...


The Louisiana one was next hardest, I knew they were available, they'd simply slip out of my grasp like one of Troy Landry's gators whenever I got close. This one came all the way over from Austria...


The Delaware and Florida ones were easy table pickin's at swap meets, hardy any effort at all and picked up years ago...they were the ones that drove my quest...taunting me like two recalcitrant kids helping their siblings to hide from Dad...

Lindsay Products...

...just a sniff of the box load of model railroading history that landed in my lap this week...

Hasbro Optimus Prime Voyager class "Dark of the Moon"...

...yes, like my son, I think Transformers are very cool, "Ironhide" being my favorite. However, my son bought that one, driving my decision to retaliate by buying his favorite. He comes in a Walmart exclusive bonus pack with "Comettor", a fellow Autobot that is very cool looking as well.

The engineering that goes into these things fascinates me, it takes well over a half hour to convert Optimus back to truck mode and over 20 minutes to put him back to robot mode.




I'm in full support of any goodly common ground that a father and son can share.

Athearn HO scale 4-6-2 Heavy Pacific, introductory ad 1959...

Back in the 50s and 60s, the running joke in the industry went something like this:

Salesman- "Look boss, our model of the Onion Specific 460 Grobnick we announced earlier this year has proven very popular with modelers over the last six months."

CEO- "That's great...I guess we'll have to actually design and manufacture one now..."

In Athearn's case, they did in fact make them but, their mechanism proved so unreliable, that they went though a complete redesign that took almost two years to complete, delaying this model until 1961...


Word is that several of these early Hi-F drives did escape the factory, though no one has ever seen one. In the world of HO, it would truly be worthy of the words "rare" and "highly prized".

Pittmann Electrical Developments Company...

...the source of most motors in American model railroading through the 1970s for both manufacturers and hobbyists. A large box lot of old motors coming my way made me realize that there is very little information out there on these little machines.

Matchbox Pierce Velocity 100' Aerial Platform...

As a fireman's kid growing up, what can I say? It sure stands up to most HO trucks offered out there. Its only detraction...the boom is 45' long and reaches 35' in the air, a good bit shy of the 100 foot mark on both counts.

Con-Cor/Rivarossi N scale 2-8-8-2 N&W Y6b....

...gets an early Kadee Micro-Trains #1048 conversion kit installed. Nicely engineered for a relatively painless install, Kadee is to be commended for its early foray into a fledgling scale, without which N scale probably wouldn't enjoy the following it does, and certainly at a time when what was offered usually did not line up with the quality of the conversion kit Kadee designed for it.

The Con-Cor Mallet was one of the better running locomotives offered in its day, and certainly well worth the extra work to convert...even today. The conversion kits are still relatively easy to find online for these old locos, and usually run between $3-10 apiece.






The original pilot coupler provided in the kit grenaded on me, leaving me to modify one (actually two, one of THOSE grenaded as well...sigh...) from a U-boat conversion kit I had lying around. It does work but serves as a reminder to how fragile they are...

AHM/Rivarossi Limited Edition HO scale Conrail Bicentennial GG1 #4800...

...the first GG1 built and the only one with a riveted carbody, the others being welded, hence the nickname "Old Rivets". Along with this paint scheme, #4800 wore Pennsylvania RR, Penn Central and the standard blue Conrail paint before being retired to a museum siding around 1980.

Number 2091 of 2700 made, the AHM/Rivarossi model falls short only in that they use a welded carbody on their rendition, but is an otherwise faithful and accurate reproduction of Old Rivets when she wore this paint scheme in the years around our nation's 200th birthday. I especially enjoy the silver running gear and the kitschy 70s stylized graphics. It comes complete with its original foam lined box, certificate of authenticity and commemorative belt buckle...

UPDATED: Revell N scale Diesel Engine House, kit #N2805...

Something that escaped my noticed when I examined the building...it was in fact, offered by Arnold Rapido, not Revell...


What I did not know at the time was that Rapido and Revell had joined forces, effectively pushing out Rapido's stateside importer, Charles Mertzbach, who went on to introduce the Charmerz HO scale train line. The engine house was reintroduced in 1969 under the Revell name with more roofing detail...and...


...without the automatic door feature evidenced in the Rapido issue of the model. Note the elements necessary to raise the doors with some under the track type mechanism shown on the doors and in the center aisle.

Charmerz HO scale rolling stock ad, November 1971...

Arnold Rapido N scale fantasy paint Southern 4-6-2 Pacific

...because it does not have the see-thru spokes or working headlight as advertised in February of 1969, I could only conclude that this would be one of the earlier ones...







It runs quite well, having survived a trip across the Atlantic from the UK. It has a diecast metal boiler and frame (no zinc-pest, yeah!!!), and features something rarely seen in N scale, electrical wiring that runs from the tender to the engine, quite a feat in its day. The valve gear is metal and exceptionally fine for the time as well.

1961 Athearn HO scale 4-6-2 Heavy Pacific...

First announced in 1958, it had many bugs in the drive. Finally released in 1961, it followed their unique 0-4-2 Lil' Monster and preceded their 0-6-0 USRA switcher...for four short years, they were the only three steam locomotives Athearn ever offered until the Genesis line in the late 1990s.




Highly desirable to Athearn collectors, I picked this one up as an unidentified model on an inner hunch that it was a Mantua Pacific, only to be pleasantly surprised by what it actually was upon further investigation...

My first clue was found on its arrival...the tender wheelsets are a spot on match to the popular Hi-F drive Budd RDC rail cars that Athearn had out at the time...


Equally fascinating were the all plastic drivers, pilot and trailing truck wheelsets---all power pickup is thru the tender...


All in all an exceptional catch that will keep me busy tuning up this winter...

AHM/Rivarossi HO scale NYC Dreyfus 4-6-4 Streamlined Hudson...

...stock #5095, this one dates to about 1972 and originally sold for $37.98. This particular purchase came with a five car consist that I will post later.





The original was coal fired...can you imagine what a beast this thing was to clean in its day...

Igarashi 18X33mm flat can motor for a Bachmann U33B...

...hardly an Athearn but, maybe there was something to gain.




The new motor came from an online vendor. Since dual shaft motors can be expensive, I had to take a chance when I found these for around $7.50 each, including shipping. They were a drop in fit for the Bachmann and AHM all wheel drive diesel models, but the shaft is too small for an Athearn...a good thing as I found later.

The only modification required for the Bachmann was a simple bend on each of the posts to clear the frame. Once the leads were soldered on, it was a simple matter to place a small blob of silicone adhesive caulk to the frame, nestle the motor into place...making sure all remains properly aligned while setting.


You can see in this side-by-side that the motor truly is a drop in fit, being about 10% heftier in the field magnet and case but well within tolerances for clearing the body shell...


An honest evaluation would include increased pulling power, it is a beast compared to its former self. It also runs much slower at the top end of the throttle, both great qualities that I figure comes from the new motor's beefier measurements over a stock buzzer.

Sadly, it does not have very good slow running qualities, not even for a road unit, dashing any hopes of mass re-motorings of the fleet on a budget. The original motor runs much quieter and has better low end throttle control---unless it's burnt out like this one was, of course. Because the new motor is also a good bit louder, that leaves it relegated to the holiday tree lapping fleet for the most part...a good thing since these locomotives tend to chew through motors about ever three years under those conditions anyway.

In the end, it's not bad for seven bucks, just save you peanuts up for one of the better can motors when you want a whisper quiet tie crawler. However, this one is more than worth it for rescuing the family Christmas gear grinder, and will last for many holidays into the future.

Mantua HO scale CM&PS RR. 2-6-2 Prairie...

A recent pick from Yahoo's HO YARD SALE forum, it was found to have bent rods on one side, explaining why the original owner couldn't get it running, and its exceptional price tag...


Compare this to their 0-4-0 Shifter and their 0-6-0 Big Six and it's easy to see that Mantua got a lot of miles out of one boiler casting.

Once I straightened the rods out, it ran fine but was found to have an arcing issue between the tender sideframes and the steel axles of the wheelsets. It would generate enough heat to make the sideframes too hot to touch, very disconcerting... Consulting other owners I soon found that it was a rather common problem with older Mantuas, and that the fixes were as numerous as the owners.

The one I settled on is a variation of one offered by a friend, that is, use the truck wipers off of a TYCO searchlight car and mount them to the trucks on the tender. Since both of my searchlight cars are mint examples, I opted for modifying a pair of wipers found in my scrap box...


It works quite well, the arcing is gone as well as the alarming heat and now I have yet another nice running old school steam model from yesteryear.

1:64 scale Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Jr. remote control NASCAR racers...

...produced by Motorworks about 5 years ago. Picked up at a yard sale in like new condition---Sr's car was not even opened---they have excellent detail and very good paint, my son and I will be road testing them tonight.

They steer much like a real car, with both front wheels turning on their own steering points, the front end being fully adjustable...it simply amazes me how far rechargeable battery and micro-motor technology (the top picture being fairly close to actual size) have come in just the last 7 years....




UPDATE: The battery in Jr's car is toasted, leaving me free to experiment with it for future rail models, unless I find a source for replacement batteries.

The mechanism for steering is quite ingenious, using a rare earth magnet on the tie rod that is drawn to either side by small electromagnets.

Lindberg HO scale EMD SW 600 ad, 1962....