Locomotives

The Know-it-All Trap

Ahh, know-it-alls! A typical model railroad club contains a variety of personality types, and there’s always a know-it-all or two in the mix. You know the type: the guy with all the answers that you never asked for. The guy who relishes calling you out for some perceived shortcoming in your hobby activities. If you’ve ever wondered why “Rule #1: It’s My Railroad” has become such a popular refrain within the hobby, it’s because of this guy. So what if some hoppers in my 1949-era coal train have the Pennsy “shadow keystone” logo from 1954? So what if my Lackawanna Trainmasters are equipped with Mars lights? So what if my North Coast Limited is pulled by Alco PAs, instead of F-units? Maybe I don’t know it’s wrong, but even if I do, I don’t care. It’s model trains. I like what I like. Lives do not hang in the balance.

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Budd Wiser

When word came round last August that the hobby shop had just gotten in a large N scale collection, I went to see it, thinking I could use another passenger locomotive, or perhaps some more Kato passenger cars. You know, something with lights, that would look good in a darkened driveway. What I found checked both boxes: a Kato RDC (Rail Diesel Car). The prototype was manufactured by Budd, the same company that made those lovely stainless-steel streamliners, and served as a one-car passenger train for railroads working to economize their passenger service. Never mind that none of the railroads I model had RDCs, this one was in Budd demonstrator livery, so it’s easy enough to rationalize its presence in my railroading activities.

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Handcrafting a Jack Panel for the Pandemic Atlantic

In the first chapter of the Pandemic Atlantic saga, I addressed the loose drivers and bent side rod that I hadn’t noticed when purchasing the engine. The next thing I wanted to deal with was the jack panel at the rear of the cab, which was cracked. This is a common problem with these engines. Sure, repro panels are available if you know where to look, but there’s a pandemic going on, and I had time on my hands. (more…)

I’m Readjusting, Thanks For Asking.

The spring train shows have been swept off the calendar. So have the club’s routine get-togethers. My non-train-related social activities are also gone. My workplace was deemed non-essential by the state, and is shut down until further notice as a public-health measure.

I’ve got nothing but time on my hands. Perfect time to catch up on some hobby projects, right?

Well…sorta. (more…)

Cute

“Cute.” How I hated to hear that word used to describe trains, as I was growing up. Trains weren’t cute. They were big. They were grimy and smoky. They made noise. They hauled thousands of tons across the countryside. (Or, in my world, they were models that represented such things.) But I picked up a vintage Varney Dockside at the RIT show last month, and it’s… (more…)