Quote from: Joe Satnik on March 29, 2009, 07:57:35 AM

Quote from: danmerkel on March 28, 2009, 09:29:11 PM
While you are at it, you might as well include turnouts as well... a lot of people don't think about them as being a source of problems radius-wise, but they can be...

dlm

The radius that Dan is referencing is called the "Radius of the Closure Rail" or "RCR". 
<<< snip >>>
Sincerely,

Joe Satnik       

Joe,

Thanks for posting that.  I've never heard it and have read John's book.  I'm wondering if it was in a later version.  Mine was a pretty early one.

dlm

Quote from: Casy jHOnes on February 03, 2009, 05:50:47 PM
Just curious what others think.

Perhaps this is a stretch, but does anyone else see a similarity between this issue and the whole concept of oursourcing jobs to other countries?  The Internet/online hobby shops often have much lower or no overhead since they don't have a "bricks & mortar" store.  They often are "second jobs" so their owners don't really need to earn a living wage OR they are located in an area where the cost of living is less.  And people who patronize them often find that some day, there are no longer any local hobby shops in their area.

Outsourced jobs tend to go to areas where labor is cheaper/cost of living is lower (considerably), they are often located in countries where the government subsidizes benefits making their overhead lower and... yep, that arrangement typically ends up costing us jobs.

Maybe it's a stretch but you have to admit that it is at least similar.

I look at it this way... if I see an item that I want, I decide if I want to pay the shop owner's existing price.  If I want it bad enough, I pay it.  If not, it stays on the shelf.  I won't offer him less for a reason that most people haven't thought of.  How would you feel if your employer allowed someone else to do your job for a few dollars less?  And you know darn well that there are people out there who would, especially in this time of a tough economy.

Support your local hobby shop?  ABSOLUTELY!

dlm

While you are at it, you might as well include turnouts as well... a lot of people don't think about them as being a source of problems radius-wise, but they can be...

dlm

I'll get in trouble for this one but I'd really like to see an EM-1 (B&O 2-8-8-4) or a DM&IR M3 or M4 (also a 2-8-8-4).

The 2-8-8-4 has to be the last major wheel arrangement that hasn't been done in some kind of high volume production run

dlm

Actually, the name Nickel Plate has several different theories for its origin.  They are covered in various discussions in at least three different books that I've read.

If you are really serious about Nickel Plate information, look for "The Nickel Plate Story" by John Rehor.  It is the definitive history of the NKP.  The book is out of print but can be had if you look around some.  I saw one not too long ago go for about $30 on Ebay.  It is considered to be one of the best written railroad histroy books and is a "must have" for anyone serious about the Nickel Plate.

dlm

Maybe they should take a lesson from the railroads and install some chain telltales... I'd think that "most" truckers would hear them scratching on the roof of their cabs or trailers.

dlm

Isn't the "real" advantage of a flywheel the ability to "coast" through brief losses of power due to dirty track, plastic frogs, etc?

dlm

Quote from: SteamGene on February 04, 2008, 10:36:30 PM
Check the gauge; remove any springs you can. 
Gene

Just curious... why would you remove the spring but then add weight to the truck???

dlm

We had them when we were kids  I remember my next door neighbor (a serious model railroader) had them as well and I THOUGHT they were HO scale, much smaller than ours. 

But no one seems to know for sure...

dlm

Ouch!  From the looks of those prices, model railroading will soon become a hobby of the "rich & famous!"  : (

dlm

Looks to me like they are the units that you can run your locomotive on without it going anywhere... A test stand if you will...

dlm

Take a look at:

http://cgi.ebay.com/PLASTICVILLE-HOBO-SHACK-Set-GREY-1_W0QQitemZ140193494459QQihZ004QQcategoryZ19149QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

These are in O scale though...

dlm

No, these weren't old freight cars or the trackside shanties.  They were honest-to-goodness hobo shacks complete with that run-down look... tin patches on the roof, bent up stove pipe, rolled up canvas door cover, etc.  They were cast in brown & grey similar to the colors used for the switch tower.  The O scale ones that I remember were about 3" square. 

Hope the description helps...

dlm

OK, here's the scoop... I've always liked the looks of the C&O heavy Mikado with the flying pumps & the Elesco feedwater heater on the smokebox.  Well, the other night, I found out that my NKP actually leased some of those very engines from the C&O to ease a locomotive shortage during WWII.  While this is not my era, it is an excuse for me to run one on my layout.

So here's my thought... AHM did at one time make one of these engines with that very configuration of pumps & the feedwater heater.  Does anyone know if I could take the boiler off of that engine and put it on the mechanism of the newer IHC engine with its much improved mechanism?  That would be a whole lot easier than cutting off detail parts & adding new ones. 

If anyone happens to have both engines, I'd appreciate your thoughts on the matter.

Thanks!

dlm

Do any of you guys who are really knowledgeable about Plasticville kits know if there were ever any HO Scale Hobo Shacks?  I remember that when we were kids, my cousin bought us O scale Hobo Shacks because she didn't know anything about scale, etc.  But our next door neighbor had HO trains and I kind of remember that he had some of them on his layout.  They looked the same as ours only smaller.  This would have been in the mid 1960s I'm guessing.

I sent someone an email a long time ago who was a member of the Plasticville collectors group and they said that they weren't aware of any HO scaled ones... but I really thought that he (my neighbor) had some.

Anyone know?

Thanks.

dlm