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A couple of additional thoughts: The MDC Overland coach has, due to the side treatment, the distinct look of 1860's and 1870's. But of course many cars lasted for decades, so that isn't to say when they would not have been seen again. The other cars in the series have a somewhat later look...

The Overland cars from MDC are (or at least were) available with two different style roofs. The "more modern" clerestory roofs like those shown in the above photos are probably most typical for eras from the 1880's on. The duckbill style roofs (on which the raised clerestory does not extend...

Well, I was gone from the latter part of April until the third week in May (flew to Washington DC and then drove a rental car across the country --- 3100 miles of fun bothering relatives). When I tried to get back on here, things were much changed, including that the site refused to recognize...

Leaving early tomorrow morning on a trip. Won't be back for two and a half or three weeks. You characters be good while I'm gone. BillS

Dave Flinn --- that's two of us, but I usually listen to CD's. BillS

Here are two harp switch stands from the (wonderful) Precision Scale catalog.....

Hey TC, some great ideas, excellent drawings and an excellent tutorial. One thing I particularly like is that your "control block" is guided like a drawer. Excellent. Another advantage of the collar washers (that you may not realize) is that the rods can be free to rotate, which would...

Point well taken, Gary. The cement does rather make everything fixed for all time. One could unsolder the rods from the rail, but that certainly is not be the best solution. I wonder if the answer might not be to drill and tap cross holes in the hardwood/plastic actuator so that set screws...

David, Yes, I think you're right --- no matter the rail size. But it would be nice to have something that looks like the prototype bars. I guess small diameter plastic rods cemented in place might work. Gary, Here is my thinking (see sketch) The diameter of the "rod" was selected to...

Gary, You explained it just fine. I’ve had similar thoughts in the past, but my versions always got too complicated under the roadbed. I never thought of the pcb strip on the under side, and to my mind that brings the idea right back toward the realm of practicality. The approach has a...

I really like the screw approach to stub turnout control. One of those ideas that makes you say “why didn’t I think of that.” It’s a derivation of the “choke cable” approach, but sounds like it would hold the rails in place much more reliably, and likely would make it easier to perfectly align...

Nice photo, Jim. I'm determined to use stubs on my new layout. All indications are that they will actually be easier to lay than point turnouts. They're much simpler. I've even experimented with modifying off-the-shelf Atlas turnouts, which doesn't look at all bad (Tho' I'd really rather...

Please pardon the invasion by a Californian..... But I thought you (particularly western) Canadians who haven't seen it should know that the May 04 Railroad Model Craftsman has two excellent articles of interest to you: 1. Railcar barge and ferry servcice to Vancouver Island and 2...

Now that's interesting, Ron. WESA is a new one on me..... BillS

That's a beauty. Do you suppose it would have enough power to pull that caboose? BillS

To add to the confusion, there was an American model railroad scale called OO. It was between HO and S in size, but I don't recall offhand whether it was the same as the brit 4 mm to the foot. If it was, the difference would have been that American OO had a true 4'8" (scale) track gauge...

Brakie: Actually our hangup about time (not the concept itself) comes a bit closer to "home." Before railroads every hamlet had their own idea of what time it was --- presuming anyone there really cared. The railroads (at least in the US) couldn't schedule around that, and as soon as they...

Congrats, Shamus on an excellent tree-making article in the May RMC. Also, for all you On30 nuts, there is a good article on kit-bashing the Bachmann Shay. Another great issue from RMC --- if you don't read it regularly, you should. I consistantly find more of interest in it than in that...

Many people improve the break in of newly built locos by initially "lubricating" them with polishing compound (or even tooth paste) instead of oil or grease. This does a nice job of mating and polishing the friction surfaces. After a run in period there needs to be enough disassembly to...

In my (often not so...) humble opinion, what you're discovering, David, is the joy of model railroading. Scratch and kit building is far more than half of the pleasure to be derived from this hobby. I cannot fathom why so many of today's model railroaders deny themselves the enjoyment...