Recent content by Albie44

You're right, the bloke on the platform actually had too much to drink and as for the lamp posts, they were hit by a derailing train. We have a club member that has to run the train at 100 miles an hour, so derailments are enevitable. Makes for a lot of work when we have to fix up what we...

Thanks for the reply tootnkumin, note the blue diesel switcher in the background, that is 53 years old and still runs like new. They don't make engines like they used to, and the price was right too. Al

My dad built this scratchbuilt station from a pattern by Ideal corp. It was cardboard and had printed doors and windows, with black lines to indicate the clapboard siding. He used clapboard wood and cut out all the windows and doors and faced them with 1/32" balsa. The door knobs were...

I was wondering if anybody out there had a copy of the station that Ideal Corporation made out of cardboard in the late 50s to early 60s. It was HO scale and was called Pleasantville Station. It was printed on cardboard and all you had to do was put it together. Any other buildings that Ideal...

Thanks Trey, but my hopper car has metal doors on the bottom that part when passing over the trip mechanism. The hoppers you show have the whole cars tilting sideways and dumping the coal, am I right? There are two metal doors on the bottom and two hopper bays. It is a Burlington CB&Q hopper...

I have an HO gauge working hopper car. It is about 50 years old, but in perfect condition. Our model train group is making a new layout and I would like to have this hopper drop the coal from the working metal doors. Problem is that I do not have the trip mechanism that opens up the doors. I...

MRR Magazines Hi RLundy, Thanks for the reply, we are trying to raise funds to create a new layout and that was an idea our club leader had. He does not use the computer much, so I was assigned the task. We do not have many issues, maybe only 20 or so. Just thought it was worth the asking...

I have been a member of a RR group at our senior community, and one of the members has about 20 copies of MR magazine. They are from the 1950's and 1960's. He wanted to know if this is something that would be of interest to any Model Railroaders and how much they were worth. Is there anybody...

Hi Brakeman, thanks for the sketch, that really makes sense. So simple when you see a pic of it. One last question, what kind of bracket or frame work is required to mount the winch? I am sure it has to be strong, as the entire weight of the layout is being transferred to the winch via the...

Hi cg51 Brakeman, That is one awesome job. Your dad should be one proud Railroader. As I stated my layout will be a mere 5 x 9 foot job and I will not be able to make a metal frame as you have done. I will be using benchwork with L beams and a plywood top screwed to the beams. I would sure...

Thanks Kenw, I am glad you answered, as I was hoping to get somebody as safety minded as myself. I was hoping to use an electric winch which I saw that holds up to 1000 lbs. My concern was just what you said, I wanted to secure the layout at the ceiling and relieve the stress on the cables...

I tried searching the HO forum for this topic but came up with nothing. So I will throw this question out there for all to read and possibly let me know if they have seen this done or how to do it. I would like to be able to use my garage to build my HO layout, but also use it for my car in...

Hi stationmaster, thanks for the suggestion. Most beds these days have wheels on them and I will make my table high enough to clear the bed. I hope to be able to lay on it and do some wireing, as long as I don't fall asleep under there. LOL.

Thanks Wojo, I will probably use casters on both my layout and the bed. Then I can get behind the back of the layout when I need to. You guys have been a great inspiration for me to get going. Albie

Thanks again, I will search the net for those. I was hoping to have the train layout high enough to hide the bed underneath. Have a curtain attached to the train table and when the bed is needed, then the curtain is opened and the bed is pulled out. I really don't need to use the train and...