Sorry for this off topic list, but for narrow gauge modelers and fans, particularly in the southeast:

Bottom line is that we are a new museum called the SE Narrow Gauge & Shortline Museum. Our goal is to acquire and preserve what very few pieces of SE narrow gauge railroad equipment is left. So far, we have boxcars Carolina & N-W #401, Lawndale #311, ET&WNC #434, motorcars ET&WNC #1 & #2, as well as some other pieces of equipment.

The bodies of most everything has been completely restored, and we need to purchase trucks for the cars.
We have applied for a Pepsi Refresh Everything grant for $25,000 to help continue restoring our collection. We are currently ranked 29th, but need to be in the top 15.

Yes, you log in with your Facebook account (all 5 seconds), but can vote once per day facebook address AND text from your phone.

Please go to http://pep.si/uInSz5 and cast your vote!

For texting, send the message 109665 to phone # 73774.

More info at www.newtondepot.com

THIS IS NOT SPAM... You can vote once per day per email and facebook address...
PLEASE crosspost us and HELP US...

Thanks- Matt Bumgarner (Alexander Chapter, NRHS)

The *BIG* narrow gauge show comes alive in Hickory, NC this week. If you aren't pre-registered, you can do so at the door ($1l0 for the week or $35 day passes)...

Right now we have Over 300 mfg. tables, 17 modular layouts (from as far away as Australia), six historical societies), eight authors, three steam locomotives, two dozen home & club layouts, and nearly 100 clinic slots for historic & modeling subjects.

Check out www.narrowgauge2011.com for all the details.

If you love modeling, you will see some of the premier manufacturers of model RR equipment in the country (Bachmann, Soundtraxx, Micro-Engineering, Accucraft, Blackstone, etc.)


Hope to see you there!!

Matt Bumgarner

Hi everyone-

I am finally tackling my long-planned project of converting the Baldwin 2-4-4T Forney into a semblence of a Porter 0-4-4T that served the Lawndale Railway in rural North Carolina. I have two engines (one for practice, one for my model) and a print out of the exploded diagram. Now, I have some questions that might be rather simple for some of you, but are relatvely new for me and I *REALLY* don't want to screw up these gorgeous engines. OK- jumping into it:

a) The hardest part is modifying the pilot. I removed the pilot truck (easy) but want to shorten the pilot deck in front of the boiler by about 3/8". This means cutting the diecast frame. Will a Dremel cutting disk do this effectively, or should I use a small hacksaw?  If I end up having to glue metal to metal, or metal to plastic, will JBWeld two-part epoxy suffice?

b) Easy question- how to remove the builders plate decals- I'm guessing Solvaset or the like? I guess I could gently scrape with an Xacto but would rather not.

c) I have to remove the air pump and air tanks under the walkways along the boiler, fabricate new walkways, and lower them. This leaves two holes on the boiler that need to be filled in. What sort of putty should I use??   What color (black) and manufacturer matches the Bachmann paint best (have I heard simple Krylon ??)   What finish- flat? satin?

Thanks!

Matt

Hi everyone-

If you haven't done it yet, check out www.narrowgauge2011.com   for information regarding next year's convention. There will be in the neighborhood of 30 layout and club tours, 300+ tables from manufacturers such as Bachmann, Deerfield River Laser, Mt Blue, Accucraft, Micro-Engineering, and four major prototype activities.

Modular railroads from as far away as Australia, Florida, and Pennsylvania will also be on the agenda, as well as around 100 clinics and a model contest that features entries from some of the world's finest modelers.

Last year, over 1500 people attended (from 12 countries no less!) the four day event. This year's convention will be the first ever held in the southeast and looks to be just as exciting as past conventions.

All registration forms and information are available online www.narrowgauge2011.com

Thanks,

Matt

Does anybody know if the fluted domes that come as extras with the 4-6-0 would be interchangeable on the 2-6-0?

Thanks in advance!

Matt

Hi all,

While we are anxiously awaiting the ETWNC 4-6-0's, Deerfield River Laser is now shipping their ET&WNC passenger car kits.

You can buy scale length ones that fit on lengthened Bachmann bodies, or "shorties" that will fit on top of the Bachmann underframes (and under the roofs) without modification.

They tell me that the ETWNC caboose will be out mid-summer as well.

Thanks!

Matt Bumgarner

Many of us here in the SE are thrilled with the recent releases and regional names of some of the On30 equipment (thanks Bachmann!). One of those cars/names is the Lawndale Railway Ventilated boxcar. Although the car is not "quite" right, here's the real deal that our local NRHS chapter is restoring- now THIS is a ventilated boxcar

http://www.tarheelpress.com/LawndaleBoxcar/

Thanks

Matt Bumgarner

Hi All-

I am about ready to start hacking on my new, beautiful Forney in order to create a Lawndale #1 0-4-4T and have identified eleven or so major changes to make on the locomotive.

I am having some trouble locating a detail part- an Eames brake system muffler- which is sort of like a fluted coffee can on a post.

Any suggestions on who might have one, or how to scratchbuild a can with flutes?

Thanks

Matt Bumgarner

Does anyone else have trouble, seemingly once a month, when this website goes down for 8-24 hours at a time?  Happened to me last night (Friday, 2/29), again.

Just curious.

Matt Bumgarner

Can anyone advise me of the scale length (or real of the prototype) of Mt. Blue #556-558?

Thanks!

Matt

Can anyone provide the scale length of Bachmann's On30 gon, boxcar, and coach?

Thanks

Matt Bumgarner

I don't have access to a local hobby store that carries the "annual"- I am assuming it is a Carstens publication?

Anyone out there that has it- can you summarize the article and its relative level of difficulty? I would ask someone to scan the article and email it, but that might involve a copyright issue, so I wouldn;t want that.

Thanks

Matt Bumgarner

Pardon my posting about an Atlas product on the Bachmann board, but I find you folks are generally more helpful here.

Does anyone know if:

a) Atlas RS2 and RS3 underframes are identical?
b) Can I **EASILY** drop one of the older bodies onto one of the newer underframes that feature LEDs and DCC ready equipment?

Thanks in advance,

Matt

Can anyone point me to a good online tutorial for hand-laying On30 track? If not, can you describe the process to me here?

I am planning on building a point to point layout and have certainly identified Micro-Mark's flex track and turnouts, but I am intrigued by their Code 83 rail as well.

As best I can tell for handlaying (which I won't do on the turnouts), one needs to solder two parallel rails together with PC board ties at some interval and fill in the space with stained ties.


So my questions first are:

1) What interval should I solder the PCB ties?

2) Anyone have a good source for the wooden ties? I saw rail, joiners, gauge, spikes at Micromark, but no wood ties.

3) I am planning on putting the track on a foam base (The Lawndale Rwy did not have a heavily ballasted line). However, I am afraid that the force required for a spike to puncture the wood tie will more than likely force the tie deep into the foam.

4) Assuming I can can a spike into the tie without deforming the foam, should I use a drop of glue or other material to hold the track down. I'm not real sure how well the spikes will grip in the foam.

Yes, I could elminate a lot of this by going with the flex track, but I've done enough HO to be flex'd out and On30 looks big enough for me to actually see the spikes, and it looks like it might be fun. Or not.

Thanks for any assistance,

Matt Bumgarner

Does anybody out there make any older style fluted domes for the 2-6-0?

Any help appreciated.

Thanks

Matt Bumgarner

I am about to start building a brick cotton mill with Micromark Brick sheets and Grandt line windows. One effect I want to create is the "arch pattern" of bricks above the windows, but I have no idea how to do this with either paper bricks or styrene for that matter.

Anybody have any ideas how to achieve this effect?

Thanks

Matt

Does anyone out there have a spare "steel-style" Forney cab, like the one on the #208 stock model? It does NOT have to be undecorated.

Or, would someone be willing to trade their steel one for a wood one (like the #209 stock number)

Thanks

Matt

Mr. Bachmann.

I wanted to thank you for coming out with the Lawndale ventilated boxcar.

The Alexander Chapter-NRHS recently obtained a Lawndale boxcar for restoration and it was moved to our location today. Check out

http://www.shelbystar.com/video/county_24631___video.html/dummy_lawndale.html

Our car is a little more "ventilated" at the moment than yours, but thanks for raising awareness of the little line!

Matt Bumgarner

Our local NRHS chapter was donated a pretty nice N-gauge layout that is just the right size to be portable. It is already scenic'd and ballasted, so I don't want to do some major reworking.

However, the layout has a pretty severe curve at the top of a very steep grade, and the front trucks of my Atlas Alco RS-3's will derail every single time if they run short hood forward in either direction (and that is the lightest end of the engine. No cars derail on this curve, nor does the second truck of the engine.

I think I can solve the problem by adding a third rail inside the gauge of the track for a guard rail, but apart from pre-bending the rail and using CA glue, I can think of no other way to attach the rail. Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance,

Matt

I am getting ready to bash a Spectrum 4-6-0 into a specific model and have a few questions, as this is my first attempt at working with a steam model.
Any help is appreciated:

a) Do the details such as running boards/air pumps/bell merely pull out of the shell or are they glued and need to be loosened from within the shell?

b) Any suggestions for removing the current headlight and replacing it with a different version with a visor (Precision Scale?)

c) The smaller tender from the 52" driver version looks much more appropriate to my prototype than the larger one that comes with the 63" Spectrum model. The problem is that this smaller tender is much lower than the cab floor of the higher-drivered model. Can anyone suggest a manufacturer of larger diameter metal wheelsets? I know I will need to lower the coupler for this mod, but I don't have a better idea of how to do it.

Thanks in advance!

Matt