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Back in the years just before WWII, there were two smaller scale competing for the smaller than O scale market. One was HO, the other was OO, which is a tad larger at 1:76th scale. But you might say "wait a min, the UK still uses OO", and they do, but its running on the wrong gauge track...

For some time now, I have been planning a small proto freelanced shortline set in north central Indiana. But finding the right "dirt cheap" motive power has been a challenge for me. I have bought and resold several engines as at first they seemed like a good fit, but then I didn't get that...

While I can rehab old brass locomotives and build kits to my heart's content. Designing a track plan/scenery plan is something I struggle with. Layout space is 55" by 33" with a tight radius loop of track. Either Atlas Snap or Kato Unitrack in HO scale. Motive power is a lone ex SP Alco...

Looking for American OO scale trains(NOT British OO gauge on HO track). These trains run on 3/4 inch wide track and are larger than HO scale. Brands such as Scale-Craft/Scale Models, Nason, Lionel, Schorr, Kemtron, Picard and others. If you have an odd piece or two of these old trains...

This is American OO, which competed with HO for control of the smaller than O gauge market before WWII. Obviously HO won out, but OO hung on quietly, in the background and is still around with a few guys still active modeling in this scale using vintage equipment and converting overscale HO...

Brass isnt for everyone, but if you own and enjoy them like I do, what was your first model(s)? For me it was one of the PFM ATSF 1950 class 2-8-0s. Super common and affordable, even at that time when brass was sky high price wise. From there I divulged into Shays and Climax engines before...

One of my pet projects is a model of the Amtrak train I rode when I was 7, which would have been the summer of 1980. We boarded in Peru, IN and rode to Chicago. We had a lone F40ph, and 3 Amfleets(coach/cafe/coach). Picked this old girl up for $125 from Brasstrains.com Runs smooth and quiet...

I have always wanted a brass one as the plastic ones just done "do it" for me when it comes to BN's Powder River brute. The big GE's were not good for much else, but they could lug and drag coal out of the Powder river and did so for many thousands of miles. Seeing them on railfan trips with...

This past Saturday was the final set up of our groups large scale portable layout. We set up at a show in Indianapolis and ran live steam thru the whole show. A mix of scales but all running on 45mm(G scale) track. Everything from gauge one models, to Fn3(1:20.3) to my and my friends UK 16mm...

Started doing some of the redetailing of my Oriental Limited brass F3 phase IV to represent CRR #800. I added the raised number plate on the nose door, kind of looks motley in the photo but will look great once painted and the decal added. I removed the twin single chime horns and replaced it...

There are paint schemes that are beyond my ablities, the Monon is one of them. I have an unpainted brass F3 that I am going to redetail for Clinchfield #800. Which is an F3 upgraded to F7 standards, only the dynamic screens on her roof give away her vintage. Looking to have this painted in the...

I am considering this very topic very hard right now. I got really frustrated to the point of an autistic meltdown the other night as to enjoy HO scale, when viewing close up, I have to remove my glasses for them to be in focus as it exceeds what my bifocals can cope with. Then when I want to...

Having a reason, the hows and why's, for a railroad to exhist are really important to me when doing a fictional or proto-freelanced model railroad. It has to make some sense or it tends to snowball itself. My line is set in Logansport, Indiana on the PRR Eel River branch and ties into the real...

To those of you doing a fictional railroad or proto-freelance, do you have a back story to your railroad? The how and why it came into exhistance, where the motive power came from ect. I know I have quite the detailed back story. It keeps getting rewritten a bit as I fine tune as I shift...

Here is one of my two PFM/United two truck Shays getting remotored. Shay ran well enough that I could have left it alone. But I had this motor on hand, and it will have better slow speed stability around the loop. The second Shay, which is a shot gun stack version is painted, directional...

Many of the younger modeler do not remember when motor/gear noise, along with the smell of ozone and hot oil was synomous with model trains. But that was the norm thru the 1950s till the late 1970s when Atlas teamed up with Kato for their drive in the yellow box era diesels. Be it brass or...

Below is a picture of what I am working with benchwork wise. Out of sight on the right is a narrow shelf about 3 foot long along the wall that dead ends at the door to the room. The other side of the layout will eventually have a 5 foot shelf that is narrow above my work bench(which is in...

The PRR Butler Branch, Vandalia line or Eel River line(it was known by all of those names)branched off at Van interlocking in Logansport Indiana and headed northeast to Butler, Indiana. Passing thru Columbia City along the way. Whilest a busy line thru the second world war, it as mostly gone...

My new GE 8-40B arrived in today's mail. After a trip thru the back shop for a full service(unrun since built in the mid 1990's) and removal of the MV lenses for installation of constant lights and flashing Prime beacon light(older Richmond Controls circuit). That was a very tedious task as...

After picking up a few buildings at a show last month and doing some track plan rework to suit, I have local freight service running. Upgrade to Kato Unitrak along with much more scenery will come later this year. I waffled back and forth between a proto freelance shortline or the Susie-Q. I...