Lee, like you, I've been checking the WRP website every few days with the hope that they would have at least the pre-order of the 2023 On30 Annual available, but no such luck. I guess all we can do is wait patiently and keep on modeling.

Regarding wives and model railroading, mine really isn't into it that much but she does attend model train shows with me and, if I'm looking for something in particular, she will go and check out the vendors and let me know if she finds anything. However, her hobby is scrollsawing, which she really gets into. So we each have our own hobbies and have even set up individual hobby rooms (we're empty nesters so we had some available space). However, as far as being impressed by anything that I do, that's never really happened either, however I wouldn't expect it.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to your article and photos when the Annual finally gets here.

One other thing. I don't know if you watch any YouTube or not, but you might like the Mosquito Creek Lumber Company's video channel. It's run by Joseph Kreiss, the same one that writes all of the articles in the Annuals going back for at least 8 or 9 years. He models logging in the bayous of Louisiana and has kitbashed (mostly scratchbuilt) a couple of critters. He and his wife have just moved to a new house and he is in the process of rebuilding his layout. The time period of his layout is the years directly after WWII (I'm guessing 1946 to 1950-ish) but what I particularly like is that he manages to utilize 1/48 military equipment (war surplus) and incorporate it into his layout. He wrote about it in the 2022 On30 Annual. The article inspired me to attempt to "genericise" a Japanese Imperial Navy Bulldozer (1/48 - Tamiya) for use as war-surplus in the Florida swamps on my layout (1947 - 1960 - if I ever get it done).

Fred

Ty, when you say the screw stripped, did the threads strip or did the head strip? If the head is stripped, sometimes you can go in with a small flat-blade screwdriver and wedge it into the Phillips cross and get the screw to come out that way. The screwdriver will have to be small, like the ones for fine electrical or detail work that come in a set. Usually a set is not that expensive.

If the threads are stripped and the screw turns but doesn't want to back out, using a small pair of needle-nose pliers to grab the head of the screw and turning counterclockwise while gently pulling on the pliers sometimes works. If you can't reach the head of the screw, try turning the screw with the small screwdriver and very gently lift up on the truck while turning. Hope this helps.

Although I'm not on oxygen, I developed asthma after my covid vaccination plus it aggravated the arthritis in my back, particularly my sciatica, so walking any distance is not possible for me either. In the house I walk with a push-around walker or with a cane but for longer trips, such as to the store I bought myself an electric scooter which goes with me when I go on an excursion. The scooter is light enough so that my wife and I can unload it from our vehicle and it will run most of a day on a charge. I took the scooter to the train show. I live out in the country, about 95 miles south of Orlando and you're right, we don't have a "local" train show either. I guess when you have to drive about 100 miles to a hobby store, the term "local" becomes relative. The train show I went to was at the Volusia County Fairgrounds, which is about an hour and forty-minutes away, but that passes here as local.

Anyway, I just thought I'd let you know about what I'd found because when I saw that 2-6-0, I remembered this post. Unfortunately, the tenders were not what you needed.

Fred

Terry, your best bet may be to keep on the lookout for local train show. I went to one this past weekend and one vendor was selling a DC 2-6-0 with two custom tenders for $100. These tenders did not have any connections to the loco since they were DC. However, I'm sure that at some point, someone will have a DCC-ready tender for sale. Best of luck in your search.

Fred

Roy, I've had that happen to me on N-scale EZ track with short sections and a couple of drops of CA glue on the roadbed under the rail solved the problem. Let the glue dry thoroughly, say an hour, and then, when you install the rail joiners, hold the portion with the glued-on rail so that the stress on the rail is minimal. Hope this helps.

You can simulate a steel cab very easily by simply gluing some .005" or .010" styrene or even some very thin plywood or smooth cardboard over the wooden panels on the laser-cut cabs. As a matter of fact, one of the manufacturers (I think its Banta Models) provides materials to do just that.

Personally, if this was my loco, I wouldn't do any chopping on the cab. Instead, I would buy one of the laser-cut replacement cab kits, available from dealers like Banta Models and others, and do all of my customizing on it. That way, if for any reason you need to go back to the original model, all you can just re-install the original cab.

Lee, I hope the photo makes it. The wives of model railroaders deserve all the recognition they can get for putting up with us. Been married going on 51 years and my wife still ooohs and aaahs at the models I build (of course she also nit picks them to death - claims that's part of the fine print in the marriage contract). So kudos to all model railroaders' wives. Can't wait to (hopefully) see the picture and thank you to your wife for taking it.

Lee, I'm pretty sure that White River Productions was hit pretty hard during the pandemic (as were many other small businesses) and that they have had to re-arrange and re-organize their production processes and cut costs where they could. I'm just happy that there will be a 2023 On30 Annual! I was worried that they were going to eliminate it due to On30 being a niche market at best. So I don't mind waiting because the end result will be worth it - I have never been disappointed with any of the annuals. Also, I'm really looking forward to reading your article - never been disappointed in one of those either. Thanks for the hard work. 

Lee, I totally agree with you. Based on last year's experience, I'm not anticipating having my copy in-hand until some time in July, perhaps August. IIRC, last year I got my copy towards the end of June (but I could be mistaken - memory isn't what it used to be). However, hopefully we'll still be able to pre-order in April.

FWIW, I sent an inquiry to White River Productions asking whether or not there will be an annual this year. According to the reply, the 2023 On30 Annual is running a little late but should be available for pre-order sometime in April.

NerdyNate, the pink or blue foam board, sold by hardware and big box stores as insulation, will work just fine. I've been using it for years. It cuts just fine with a sharp knife and you can use the score and snap method to cut it to size. Hope this helps.

I saw the bubbled chip on the PCB and that is what concerns me. Without a schematic for the PCB, its almost impossible to tell what the function of that chip is/was. Wiring in a plain decoder is not that difficult. I've done it on several of my old N-scale locomotives and didn't run into any problems. I just took my time and followed the directions that came with the decoder. BTW, these were very basic decoders - usually 4 functions, once or twice I got a deal on a 6-function decoder and had no problems with them either and all of them were Digitrax. Unfortunately, I don't know anything about installing a sound decoder. I'm one of those people that after about 2 minutes or so, the sounds on a layout really start to annoy me so I don't use sound on any of my locomotives. Hope this helps.

Terry, the only thing I can think of is to find a working Mogul, disconnect the tender from the loco, and then, using a multimeter, trace each wire from the connection on the PCB to the connector and make a diagram. Then, go back to your tender and do the same thing and see if your connections match up to what you found on the working tender. If you find a discrepancy, correct it and see if the unit still works. Otherwise, you would need a replacement PCB at the least, perhaps also a new decoder. Hope this helps.

Fred

1. No
2. No - Not a joiner - I like to do my own thing
3. None - not a member
4. No - live out in the country. Nearest hobby shop is 95 miles away.
5. Yes - did a day trip to the 2021 National Narrow Gauge convention just to buy stuff