It is difficult to create coupler height standards for narrow gauge cars as each railroad seemed to have their own. Look at the latest issue of the GazetteIt shows a B&SR two foot gauge flat car and the coupler height is 16 inches. This lower than Colorado or EBT equipment. So if you built a model of this car to scale you'd have a problem coupling it to something like a DRGW 3000 series boxcar.

It seems that Bachmann has set a de facto standard for On30 when they decided to use HO couplers and standards.

As for operating On30 there is no reason not to use the NMRA standards for On3.

Sorry to have injected the Carter Brothers plug in this board.

I think SRRL or other Maine rolling stock would be a nice complement to the Forneys. I have been agitating for a model of SR&RL prairie # 24 for a while. I bet EBT steel box cars would also be well received.

Pardon my ignorance but doesn't linseed oil come in two forms - raw and boiled? Which is better to use on wood?

I've never heard of a Mantua mike with factory installed sound, but then, I've never heard of a lot of the new actors who are making movies.

That conversion is really a nice job. As I've written in other posts the Mantua mechanisms have a lot going for them. If I had that mechanism I would try to mount a flywheel where the long shaft is located.

Bachmann might find that some cars based on Carter Brothers designs would sell well.

I second the above posts - get your trains from a dealer where you can see what you are getting.

As for track you need something other than Bachmann steel for outdoor use.

Wow - Holgate and Reynolds - haven't heard that name in a while.

Does your LHS sell flying  wooden flying airplane model? You can
use " airplane dope" to seal the wood.

I believe Scalecoat paint made a sanding sealer (they produced Quality Craft models) you might be able to contact them and have ship some out to you.

I have also heard of people using "Testor's dull cote" spray on bass wood. It will fill all the voids. Then use some fine sandpaper or 000 grade steel wool. Another thing I've heard used on wood is artist's acrylic matte medium. Thinned out it should work.

Good luck and enjoy the challenge. I have built many wooden kits over the years and there is always a feeling of satisafaction when you put the completed model on the track!

I recall reading about an Oklahoma law that forbade shooting at animals from a moving train. Didn't say anything about if the train was stopped.

An 1837 law in New York required locomotives on Long Island to have bells - hmmm... I wonder if that law had any effect?

When the Southern Railway was running steam excursions they used the tender from an L&N M-1 berkshire as an auxiliary tender. Some railroads, like B&O, used very distinctive auxiliary tenders. I think the "Beano" people called theirs "Water Bottles."

My advice to someone wanting an auxiliary tender would be to look around for an appropriate tender for your particular railroad and couple it behind your favorite engine.

I hear they run very well. You can get the katest Model Power/Mantua version with a tender (brand new, factory fresh) from Trainworld for $99.95. The tank engine version is $10 less.

I had a set of original Atlas/Roco Alco FA and FB - both powered with huge can motors. I purchased them in the late seventies and a buddy of mine still has them and they run smoothly. The Roco engines had a little gear growl but that made them sound like diesels in the era before DCC.

There is a Tyco GP-20 lettered for NYC up for auction on Ebay - if you'd like to see one in pristine condition, take a look.

There are some rare Mantua items. The original Mantua sharknose, which was die cast, is relatively rare. A friend had one and it was terribly heavy and that negated some pulling power.

Also the Mantua steamers from the late forties and early fifties, the 8-ball mogul, Belle of the Eighties and Reading Goat, are really nice additions to a collection if you can find them.

Tyco  steam engines were reliable - you got your money's worth. When they went into trainsets the engineering and quality went down.

I started in HO with their 0-4-0 tank engine and graduated to an all metal gearbox drive pacific. That was one nice engine.

Unfortunately there are many people who think that every old train, whether Lionel or Tyco, is a rare jewel. A lot of the Tyco stuff was cranked out in huge quantities and quality suffered.

The Grandt C&S caboose has a fully detailed underframe and regauged wheels could cause a problem by hitting the inner truss rods on curves. This problem will happen with most truss rod On3 cars regauged to On30. This could be addressed in the assembly of the kit. Also there would be an issue with coupler height.

Grandt used to sell the various assemblies separately and I know that you can buy the C&S pedestals.

I realize that the IH kit has two trucks but it could  be made into a two axle bobber using some Grandt Line parts. It is a very tiny little caboose and fits in nicely with the Bachmann equipment.

International Hobbies has a couple of small bobber cabooses. These kits are styrene kits, come complete with trucks, and do not overpower Bachmann cars.

In addition Boulder Valley makes cast resin replacement sides for the International Models kits.  These make bobber combines and baggage cars.

You can check the Model Power website for availability of the articulateds.