Good morning all,

P51, no I have not, too many summertime activities. Hopefully this winter as here in the north, the cold winter months are for working on my train layout.

I have 2 Bachmann 26' flatcars for the project; one for the 2 caissons I originally ordered in my early concept idea, the 2nd is the one Bachmann produced with the Confederate cannons for the load. As of now I plan to have one flatcar inbound with the artillery pieces (one caisson and cannon) needing restoration, the second flatcar will be outbound with the pieces restored (the other caisson and one cannon).

Old Pilot

Good morning all,

P51, you are more correct than I am. I just heard from Ranger Karlton D. Smith at Gettysburg Battlefield. Keeping his explanation brief, cannons were placed on the battlefield prior to 1887 by the Memorial Assoc., first on rocks, then on metal carriages made by Gilbert & Smith in the 1890s. Many of these metal carriages are still in use on today's battlefield. There are only 4 pairs of limbers and caissons on the battlefield, all in one grouping.

So, I will change my flat car load plans to repairing artillery pieces from local town squares.

Old Pilot 

Good morning, P51 and others,

Still no word from Gettysburg, must be busy preparing for the anniversary. I do like your idea of rebuilding "memorials" from local town squares; I'm going to change my concept for Jeb rebuilding the two caissons I ordered for the flatcar load.

A small unrelated sidebar, my wife and I judged a BBQ competition in Bainbridge.

Old Pilot.

Good morning, Len and P51, thank you for your info.

P51, after receiving your reply, I sent an email to the National Park Service at Gettysburg inquiring as to when the battlefield park was established, when artillery pieces were first displayed, their construction at that time, and when they were rebuilt with all metal parts for longevity. I am still waiting for a reply. Until then, and their reply contradicts my "poetic license" (I try to be close to accurate for my fictional layout history), since Gettysburg was created circa 1895 and my layout time frame is the late 1890s, I am going to have Jeb rebuilding the caissons to their original composition of mostly wood with some metal parts.

Len, the company you advised to check has a caisson which I believe suits my purpose.

Again, I will apologize for straying from the exact purpose of this forum. Also, forum monitor, you are going to have to make the verification letters larger and plainer for my old eyes.

Good morning all,

I am building a Bar Mills kit, Jebediah's wagon repair, and thought it might be interesting if Jeb had a contract with the National Park Service to restore artillery pieces to be displayed on a local battlefield; thus creating a somewhat unique flatcar load. So, I am looking for O scale caissons, limbres, etc., that will fit on a Bachmann On30 scale 26' flat car. I have done some scanning on the net but most offerings seem to be complete kits with horses, soldiers, etc. which I don't need. So I am turning to my favorite source for info on possible solutions. Any suggestions will be appreciated.

Old Pilot

Good morning all,

I had the chance to attend my first such train meet, it was well worth it. Nice to see a lot of On30 products in person, not just photos in an ad. Also saw a lot of items not previously known. At first, I thought $20 admission was a lot for a train show, but with the "bargains" I came home with, it was cheaper than "shipping." Hopefully I can more such shows in the future.

Old Pilot

Good morning all,

I'm curious as to whether the mentioned difference in the sizes of the trucks between the 18' and 26' cars causes any alignment problems for coupling/uncoupling between the two sizes. For me, it is a consideration for future purchases.

Thanks.

Old Pilot

Good mornig, Fred,

Besides "getting old is a b---h," we can always use the justification or "excuse," if you can't see the detail from 3 feet, you are wasting your time. I guess that's why my new layout will have a lot of detail only seen in my mind's eye.

Old pilot

P51, besides coordination, fading eyesight also enters the picture with age. Even with correct glasses, some days those couplers are a small target. Your handle and picture finally registered with me. If I am seeing what I think I'm seeing, we have more in common than just On30. I consider that era the "golden age of aviation." My experience came later when the wings went around; I'm an old Huey driver. My apologies for getting away from the intended scope of this forum.

Good morning Fred,

I never would have thought of your tip, but it works the best yet on my quick testing. I just happen to have that type of dental brush on hand. The brand name is GUM, comes with a blue and white striped handle and is about 2 3/4" long. It works by just slowly pushing it between the jaws of the couplers and twisting slightly. Be careful when the uncoupling is completed and you are removing the brush. One of the couplers can slightly grab the brush and could cause a derailment if you are too hasty in the brush removal. The 2 3/4" length made it a little tricky between two 26' boxcars but I found that the clear tube that covers the brush (probably sanitary reasons) can be forced onto the handle end, now making the "tool" about 4" long. I'm guessing the brush will wear with use, requiring a periodic change to a fresh one. I can't wait to tell my dentist that his recommended brush for tooth maintenance also has another use.

Hello all,

I have progressed to the point of beginning to operate my switching empire. I am having problems with uncoupling some of the cars. I have tried a shish kabob pointed stick and a sharpened small screwdriver. Each works on some cars but not all. I have checked the couplers for correct height, operation, burrs, the simulated air hoses (pins) all point about 20-30 degrees to the right of the centerline, etc. but I have found no problems I can see. Is there a simple solution I am missing or should I replace the problem couplers? Thanks in advance for any help.

Thanks for the reply and photo. Definitely makes the decision easier to create the hemlock load, and since both of my engines are wood burners, create a simulated load to deliver to the engine service area. 

Since I have not found any hobby shops in a 50 mile radius that stock On30 supplies, especially Bachmann equipment, I have to appeal to the excellent source of users/experts who read this forum. From some photos posted on ebay of the 18' low sided gondola, it appears to include a coal load. Is this load the "drop in" type or is it attached to the body? If so, is it easily removable? I would like to use it or the 18' flatcar as a basis for a car hauling hemlock bark from a saw mill to a tanning industry. Thanks for any help.

Thanks for the info on the small screwdrivers. I will look for a set. My jewelers set had done all I needed until these safety straps entered the picture.

Good morning, Fred,

Thank you, your advice was spot on and a great help. I just finished taking the tank car apart as per your instructions, except for the ladders which appear to be glued in the holes. I can live with this while I weight decal and weather the car. The only problem I had was the two safety straps holding the tank to the flat car. It took a magnifying glass to see they were held by the smallest phillips head screws I have ever seen. Not having a screwdriver that small, I was able to get enough grip with small needle nose pliers to turn and remove them. Use caution and do it over a large white piece of cloth in case you drop them. The only other advice I can give to your instructions is to use a chisel type blade in an exacto knife to insert in the seam of the tank to gently pry it apart.

This is a great site, receiving help from somebody who has already done what you want to do.